Jaded Eyes of a Prodigy
by wickedlfairy17
Summary: DarkHarry snapped early on, follow his journey for revenge. Surprises at every turn and not everything is as it appears. His search for power will reshape the world by fire and the magical world will never know what hit them.Slash LVHP Full summery inside
1. The journey begins

**Jaded eyes of a Prodigy **

**Summery: Harry learned early anything you do you do for yourself. Discovering Magic early in life he will set out to change the world in a way no one expected. Dark, twisted and slightly insane he will give Voldemort a run for his money. However, not everything is as it seems and there are surprises at every turn. Will his revenge be obtained or like many before him will he fall short? In a world nothing is certain and power means everything a lot will stand in his way. Soon, Voldemort and the entire world will not know what hit them! Harry will surprise them all but mostly he will surprise himself, can he obtain it all or will the world fall apart around him? How will the light handle the monster they have created? Read to find out! **

**Pairings: LVHP main others still figuring out**

**Prologue: The Early Life of a Prodigy**

The houses on Privet Drive like most houses were all identical and horribly normal in every way anything unique or extraordinary was quickly snuffed out in this neighborhood. However there was one thing that could not be destroyed so most settled for ignoring it all together.

Which is perhaps why no one cared very much that the extraordinary little boy they stubbornly ignored was being stuffed in the closet at the moment. Harry didn't know what it was that made him so strange so different from the other little boys living in the neighborhood.

He was extremely intelligent for one his age, at four he already was a fluent reader and the basics of math had already conquered. Nonetheless, his intelligence had he been living anywhere else would have been view with awe and glorified not looked upon with sneers.

The truth of it was he had been forced to be cunning, sly, and clever whatever one would call it to survive in this household. Harry stared at the shadows dancing across the cramped walls of his cupboard envious of their freedom. He turned his thoughts to what got him locked in his 'room' again, he had been caught doing the _**secret thing**_ today and if he knew his keepers he would be locked in here for a few days yet.

The day had started normal enough Aunt Petunia screeching through the door to get up and make breakfast with Uncle Vernon bellowing how ungrateful the 'boy' acted. Harry mused he only knew his name because he had read it on the blanket he had been left with when he had been DUMPED on their doorstep. His name was Harry James Potter; sometime he had to remind himself that because after a while he had gotten so used to being called boy, freak and whatnot.

He had gotten up made breakfast for his loud trio of relatives and set to work on the chores for the day, Monday, was cleaning the house, tending the garden, picking up after his slightly older cousin, and making all the meals of course. It had been about noon when he had finished cleaning the house so he had set out to set the garden to rights.

His Aunt wanted nothing but the most perfectly ordinary garden on the whole block so no weeds were allowed EVER to grow. Harry actually very much loved the garden, making things grow, tending to them lovingly even though by the end his hands were raw and blistering by the end of it (he wasn't allowed gloves).

He had checked he had been careful or so he thought but his Aunt had caught him doing the **secret thing** that made the weeds go away for a long time. Which was why he was in here staring at the shadows dance because he was strange not because he was so smart no it was 'cause he could do the **secret thing**.

He glanced at the door as he heard the padlock click loudly into place, he sighed knowing he would have to wait a very long time for anything to eat. A small smile tugged at his lips reaching slowly into the darkest crevice of the cupboard and pulled out his treasure. It was a battered old forgotten book that had been there since before he could remember, it was thick the thickest book in the house actually, filled with all sorts of fairy tales.

Harry very much doubted that his aunt and uncle even knew it existed; the first story had always been his favorite of Never Neverland and Peter Pan with his fairies. No not because he never wished to grow up in fact he couldn't wait to grow up so he could escape this place no it was the very beginning that made this story his favorite.

Peter Pan had lost his shadow and was trying (and failing) to get it to stick to him. Harry did think it was rather cruel that windy had to sew it back on Peter should have just asked his shadow to come back to him. He loved that part so much because Harry very much wanted a friend someone he could talk to so he secretly hoped that his shadow _would_ come to life so he could befriend him.

He sighed again it was not to be shadows didn't come to life no matter how much he wanted him to they were just shadows, darkness in its purest form. Harry actually very much loved the dark who wouldn't after hours sitting in his pitch black cupboard he felt the safest in the dark hiding from his bloody relatives.

Harry hated Privet Drive hated the uniform houses hated how perfectly normal every single house was not one house different from its neighbor not ONE unique in any way. He hated Aunt Petunia hated his whale of a cousin Dudley but most of all he hated Uncle Vernon more then he hated anything.

Sometime he'd sit alone in the darkness of his cupboard and wish he had the strength to crush them to hurt them the way he was hurt. Most of all he was lonely most of the children around either ignored him or actively beat the shit out of him Dudley leading them all. He felt so worthless the only thing that gave him the right to exist was the **secret thing** because no one else he knew could do it, no one.

He sat there the rest of the day reading his treasure imagining he was somewhere else, a place where he was alone and no one could come near him…so no one could ever hurt him. He waited patiently until night and he heard two twin pig squealing snores and one high-pitched wheeze that signaled they were asleep.

He used **it** to open the padlock making it float soundlessly to the floor with a soft clunk as it hit the ground. It had taken him a while to figure out how to do that, make things move that is, but it had been worth it. He crept out of his 'room' silently slinking along the wall hidden in the shadows of the wall.

He made it to the kitchen safely, he then set about getting the food he would need for the next few days, a loaf of bread that the Dursleys had forgotten about, a couple bottles of water and a couple apples that Dudley refused to eat but Petunia bought anyway.

He floated them along using his acquired stealth to make it back to the cupboard after he had the food in he closed the door. Now was the hardest part unlocking things was easy but locking them was harder though he somehow managed to get the padlock back in place again they would be none the wiser.

Time skip

Harry hated Christmas, though when he thought about it he hated every holiday they were pointless if anything they were the worst days of the entire year. It was Christmas though that was particularly bad, after slaving away to make sure everything was how their precious 'dudders' wanted it he was forced to stand their and watch their happiness.

He had to stand there and watch Dudley be coddled with affection and gifts. Watch them smile and laugh it was during these times that he really felt his existence meant nothing to the world. The year had been uneventful he slaved away turned a year older and learned to do more with his **secret thing**.

Sometimes he wondered what it was that kept him living on the way he did, what was the meaning of living; what made his life better than anyone else. There was something he wished for, he thought about every waking moment of every waking day and sometimes he even dreamed about it.

Oh…he knew what he thought/fantasized about was utterly wrong and evil he just couldn't make himself care. The thought had always been there but it had come to life after watching a particularly gory horror movie from the shadows (Vernon had not caught him watching the movie). He wanted his '_family_' dead.

He had imagined many different ways already, chaining them to their beds and watching them BURN was one of the most frequent. However, he was by no means foolish he was a five year old he didn't had enough strength to do all he wanted to punish them. Plus as much as he hated to admit it he couldn't take care of himself quite yet and didn't want something even worse happening to him if he went through with his dark thoughts.

So he bid his time training himself to have an utterly stoic mask at all times, sure there were times when he slipped but Harry was optimistic that soon he would have it absolutely perfect. He suppressed any emotion ruthlessly because in addition to it ruining his mask it also cause the **secret thing **to go completely out of his control.

Time skip

Another year, another birthday gone by not that Harry really cared that much all that mattered was what he accomplished during that time. It had gotten worse, the abuse, before it had been just neglect locking him away in the cupboard under the stairs for months at a time.

Steadily as Harry had begun to understand the power within him, the power of his **secret thing**, the abuse had escalated. Vernon had taken to using a belt, he used rough rope that broke the skin at his wrist to tie him to the stair railing then the pain would come. A whoosh, CRACK and hiss as Harry clenched his teeth the skin on his back, shoulders, and chest spilt open bleeding.

Usually it would continue until Vernon, Petunia and Dudley were tired from whipping him. For his credit Harry never once cried out from pain, it wasn't long after this started that Harry stopped talking altogether only whispering to the shadows when he sure he was alone.

However these once a week beating just pushed him further to learn to use the power lying dormant inside him. The festering wounds on his back kept him awake at night, but that was okay with him he liked the dark more anyway using the time to study to use this power. Harry never learned of love in this house, not joy, not caring, not kindness, not any of the positive ones you would expect a child to learn to FEEL naturally.

No his lessons were of a much darker nature there in the cupboard under the stairs; he learned to **HATE**, to do _anything_ to survive, he learned to lie, to use the shadows to hide but most of all he learned to never place your trust in anything of the human sort.

Time skip

Harry stared blank eyed at the walls of his small prison curled up on his side to avoid putting any pressure on his still bleeding wounds. It had been six months since the beating started and Harry could not last much longer he had to leave, they would kill him soon he knew it.

Soon his eyes went from looking almost dead to having a crazy twinkle in his eyes, a hollow half insane smile broke across his normally stony face. Sitting up Harry gathered the raggedy scrap the Dursleys called a blanket he placed his Treasure in the middle of it along with his last water bottle and bread from his last night scavenge.

He ran his fingers along the door and heard the clunk, clunk, and clunk of the fallen padlocks before he silently opened the door. Cautiously he stepped out though the chorus of squealing snores told him they were asleep. He didn't know if he could do what he was thinking of (not sure he had the strength) but he didn't see a choice.

Harry grabbed his favorite kitchen knife before proceeding up the stairs to his tormentors' rooms; he would make sure they could never hurt him again. He went to Vernon's room first he hated them the most, his UNCLE Vernon and his AUNT petunia.

The door creaked a little bit but Harry wasn't worried their snores way to loud this close to hear anything. He wasn't sure it'd work but he used **it** to keep them from moving and keeping the sound inside. He HAS been practicing but it'd only last a little while he wasn't strong enough yet to hold them both very long.

Harry's hand trembled a little bit but eventually it steadied as he thought of the numerous scars that riddled his torso some cuts still fresh from the morning. He was rapt in his attention as he slit Vernon's throat deeply it reminded him of when he had to cut up ham for their breakfast.

He was already on the other side of the bed mimicking the cut to Petunia's throat before sputtering they opened their eyes as they drowned in their blood. Harry sat at the threshold of the door watching to make sure they died; it wouldn't do for them to survive.

Surprisingly Harry got little blood on him only on his hands nothing else was stained with their blood. He made quick work of Dudley one swipe and soon he was dead in a pool of his blood too. With them dead Harry breathed a sigh of relief knowing they couldn't hurt him ever again he let a small satisfied smile grace his stoic face.

He washed his hands of the blood first before rinsing the blade, and then he went to Vernon's room stealing all the money he could find and all of the prettier pieces of jewelry from his Aunt. He used one of Dudley's backpack to carry it all, his treasure, the money/jewelry, food, water and a thick soft blanket he had always admired.

He took one last lingering look at the house he had spent most of his life in letting the enormity of what he'd finally done sink in. He had **WANTED **them dead for a long time now that he had finally done it he let a smile grace his face for an instant before he walked out of the door to his new life.

He took a bus to London his uncanny ability to remain unnoticed helped him from being confronted with too many questions. Harry got off at some non descript park that had a few kids his age running around playing, laughing and generally doing what kids their age did under the watchful eyes of their parents.

No one noticed him throwing a kitchen knife wrapped in newspaper into a trash bin, no one noticed him in general as he sat down at one of the many squeaky swings. Harry stared at his hands he knew he had washed all the blood off but he could still feel it there wet and sticky staining his hands forever he imagined.

Clenching his hands he forced it out of his mind, gently he rocked himself on the swing his face indifferent as he watched the various child interact with their parents knowing he would never get that. Harry had long ago concluded that he didn't miss his parents and never would he had been to young when they died to remember them so he had put it behind him.

What he did envy was the affection that a good family gave each other but now he no longer even felt the pull of emotion to do that when he looked out across the playground. Harry just sunk into his thoughts about what he was going to do with himself now that he was free of the Dursley's tyranny.

It occurred to him that he didn't know if anyone even knew he had lived five years of his life with them because he had never been allowed out of the house besides doing yard work. He had spent most of his life in the cupboard in the shadows and out of sight when they had company.

However, he knew that someone had placed him in the Dursleys care and eventually that someone would remember him enough to ask questions. So his story was simple, the murder/mugger had came into the house killed them and had he had only escaped since he slept in the cupboard.

He would tell them should they ask that he had run out of the house after he had seen their bodies, scared, and gotten himself lost. Simple and hard to refute most would not question him because of his age (who wants to believe a six year old could kill?).

It was around noon when he noticed most of the children had gone and there was a man a few yards from him doing something interesting. He was a fat man, balding, clearly very old compared to him (round 60-70) he had a scraggly gray beard and worn old clothes.

He was sitting in a fairly comfortable looking chair and had various bags around him filled with different supplies. But what caught Harry's eye was the strange table looking thing that stood straight up and the old man was obviously was doing something with it.

Getting up he let his natural curiosity get the better of him and made his way over to him to investigate. He went around him coming up from behind he stared over his shoulder; the old man was painting the scene before him though Harry caught some details he had missed.

"You forgot the red wrapper in the corner by the slide." Harry said in a willowy voice drawing the man's attention. He smiled jollily at him and then proceeded to reach down into his various pacts pulling out a new looking sketchbook. He handed Harry it and a few charcoal pencils and replied, "Why don't you give it a shot."

Harry looked at him questionably then slowly took what he was handing him. He had been a bit suspicious at first because Vernon NEVER let him get anywhere near anything like this before he didn't really know what to with himself. So he studied the old man again and nervously he brought the pencil to the blank page.

At first he didn't know what to draw but after concentrating so long on the man before him he just started to just copy what he saw. Harry had always been an observant child noticing everything around him at all times, nothing was above his attention it came from his years of living with the Dursleys a survival instinct of sorts.

So Harry did what he did best observed everything about the man before him from the slight unnoticeable hunch on his right side to how his eyes shone slightly brighter every time he found something more to add to his painting. Harry concentrated solely on the man before him the background disappeared; there was just the man, the page and the pencil.

About two hours later he was finished on the page before him was an exact carbon copy of the man before him on the page down to the slightest wrinkle of his clothes. "I'm done." The old man looked at him with the same jolly smile and took the book from Harry's hands.

To say John was surprised would be an understatement he utterly rocked to his core about the picture the child before him had drawn. He had expected some stick figures and smudges but this was a masterpiece. It was him exactly, almost as if someone had take a black and white picture of him.

Harry was a bit nervous when the color drained from the man's face but was relieved when he managed to choke out, "…very good…". The old man then got excited all a sudden and turned to Harry with an odd twinkle in his eye. "Hey kid how 'bout we strike a deal I give you this sketchbook and some art supplies you give me this picture, signed of course! So how bout it kid we got a deal."

Shifting from side to side Harry couldn't see this as a trap of any kind so he silently too the book from him and signed HJP at the bottom. "Names John by the way." The ma, John said absently as he took the page from the book and proceeded to give Harry various paints, brushes, pencils and such.

Harry took everything that John had to give him and placed them carefully in the over large backpack he had (it was nearly as big as him). After he had bid goodbye to John, Harry went to the public lo that the park housed to clean the black coal stains off his hands.

The faint grumble of this stomach told Harry it was time to get some food only now noticing he hadn't eaten all day so used to being starved by his dead relatives. By the time he had gotten something to eat and found a nondescript spot in the park he could spend the night in he settled down for the night drawing until the sun went down.

He awoke to the sound of music playing. It was enchanting, Harry had never heard something so beautiful before Vernon had a very stale taste in music and he was never exposed to nothing else. Stepping from the bushes after he put away the blanket he searched for the origin of the music.

Eventually he found it, a little beyond the picnic tables was an orchestra with five different musicians playing various instruments. Harry just sat watching and listening to them play a burning desire to conquer each of their instruments blossomed within him at that moment. Harry wanted to play just as well…no BETTER then the musicians before him.

He spent the next few days at the park, drawing, listening to bands play and learning to read musical notes from a book he bought. Though it didn't really surprise him after two weeks of this that someone finally noticed that there was a child hanging around the park with no seeming parents.

So he wasn't shocked when a policeman woke him up some days later and took him to the orphanage that he was looking at now. Harry hadn't spoken a word just shook or nodded his head to answer question they had easily gotten that his parents were dead. Which lead them here the policeman was talking to the orphanage head and he was sitting quietly in the hall staring blankly around the run down dusty place.

It was obvious that this place needed more then the government was providing to keep it up, Harry vaguely let himself wonder back to listening in to what the two adults were saying.

"…obviously he's been on his own for a while judging from how starved he looks, not to mention his clothes!"

"How long you think he's been on his own?"

"At least a year…" he let his mind drift after that it was almost ironic that the Dursleys treatment of him ensured no one thought he had had a family for a long time. The truth of it was he had never had a family to begin with, Harry almost snorted when they finally realized they didn't even know his name.

"What is your name little boy?"

Harry waited a moment face indifferent then said slowly, "Tristen…Stillnight" then said nothing more no matter their prompting. He liked the irony of the name, besides a new life needs a new name.

The old lady took hold of his shoulder and started to steer him around the place showing him the school side, the cafeteria, and finally the side of the building that held the rooms. She left him here telling him to find a room to sleep in. Harry didn't like this hall that had many doors lined up it, it was too bright and open for his tastes.

The orphanage had been an boarding school at one time a long time ago, it was huge but lots of parts were unused and falling apart. The east wing was the school half with various classrooms filled with old equipment and crumbling desks. The main building was the greeting hall, offices and kitchen/cafeteria. The west wing was the sleeping quarters that had about five rooms on each floor.

The building itself was about eight stories tall, six of which were above ground two were below. The orphanage itself only used about a quarter of this actively not bothering to clean the rest. Before she had left him to his own devices the old lady had mentioned there were thirty odd kids here already and five more heads of staff beside herself.

None of this mattered much to Harry, he was on the top floor of the living quarters and it was to bright here for him, to lively and open. Years of living under the stairs had given him a penchant for the dark closed in spaces the open made him nervous it felt to exposed.

So he just keep going down the stairs as his dissent went deeper the floors got dustier and dustier until he came to the lowest level of the living quarter side of the orphanage.

The lairs of dust were thick and where kicked into the air no matter how lightly he stepped making him cough as he wondered down the hall. It was colder down here but it was secluded that much was obvious otherwise there wouldn't be that much dust. For all intensive purposes no one had been down here in years so it left free reign for Harry to do whatever he wanted.

Eventually he found a moderately small room at the end of the hall that he thought would suit him, there was a bed, and a small closet and a sturdy door that looked like it could take a beating. He couldn't sleep in a big room after years in the cupboard he'd wouldn't feel secure in an open space like that.

Harry shook most of the dust off the bed and the sheets before he sat down. He let his eyes wonder around what would be his new shelter for a while. He knew better than to call this place 'home' he wasn't some deluded little kid Harry knew that there was no such thing as Home.

It hit him as he sat there he was finally free, no one could take him back to the hellhole that had been the Dursleys he had KILLED them. They wouldn't ever be able to hurt him again he was FREE!!!! Before he knew what he was doing he was laughing crazily, hysterically laughing it echoed through the hall.

He kept laughing his eerie insane laugh, it was laugh that probably would have even the most harden solider shaking a little coming from such a small frail looking boy. When he found he couldn't laugh anymore he pulled what was left of the food from the backpack to eat.

He nibbled on some stale bread and looked through the jewelry that he'd stolen from Petunia, a locket, rings, and a golden key. Harry often wondered about the key he knew for certain that it didn't open anything at the Dursleys house it was too extravagant. But he just shrugged put the jewelry back into the jewelry box he stole and then hid it under the mattress.

It was getting late so he decided that he better get some sleep now so he could wake up early. When he woke up the next day he stayed there in his new room thinking. In his short life he had learned many, many things one thing always stuck with him and stayed in the forefront of his mind.

You can tear a person apart without ever touching them, words were far more dangerous than any weapon because you could heal a cut but emotional wounds stay for far longer. He had decided early on emotions were for the weak, and he had strove to rid himself of them.

But the problem with words was they stayed with you and your memory was like a knife it could **hurt** you. Vernon had said many things to him, Harry was worthless, undeserving, stupid, and slow, no one would ever care about him. It had hit him deep at first; sometimes he would cry himself to sleep because he believed him.

No one cared enough to think it strange that a six year old shouldn't be this thin when Dudley was roughly the size of a small baby whale. No one questioned his bruises or cuts; no one wondered about him why a six-year-old boy would be gardening. No one had ever cared for him and eventually he decided if no one cared for him then he would care for no one.

Harry knew better emotions were for the weak only the foolish and stupid felt things like love. Hate on the other hand was what drove him, hate made him strong it was hate not love that strove him to kill his tormentors and it would be hate that drove him now.

He knew he was special he was different from everyone he could make the impossible happen and it had saved him more then once. Harry knew he could do MAGIC, he could finally dare to approach the word in Vernon's house that would have gotten him hospitalized if they had bothered to take him.

Harry hardly ever spoke a word because words were very powerful he wasn't stupid enough to use them thoughtlessly. Hardly anyone really thought about what they were saying before it came out of their mouths, kids especially were idiots when it came to realizing their impact on one another.

THAT was why he was there sitting thinking, that was why he didn't want to step out of the room because once he did he would be faced with words coming from idiotic children. As much as he hated to admit it emotions were impossible to get rid of so words still cut him he had just gotten better at hiding it.

Harry feared even more what they would do what they could do to him, they wouldn't understand him they'd think him strange. When someone is strange people don't understand they are too stupid to and so they will strike at him just like Vernon. And as much as he hated to admit it he was physically weak, he could not stand up against someone bigger than him.

The first week was fine he was generally ignored him and Harry was perfectly fine with being ignored. However, it didn't last long Harry was quite good at blending in with the shadows but he caught the eye of someone he wish he hadn't. John Lester was a thirteen-year–old boy that was tall for his age, he was somewhat slow and had been at the orphanage since he was seven.

John was very tan, had dull brown eyes, greasy sandy blonde hair, crocked teeth, and a pug nose saying he was ugly would have been nice. In fact the only reason he wasn't fat was probably a mix between him being naturally very tall and the meager meals they got. Harry hadn't really cared that all that he had no friends but that just made him the perfect target for John and his cronies.

John got extreme pleasure in torturing Harry, from taints, to beatings to stealing his food anything to make Harry miserable. It got so bad that after only three weeks there Harry had taken to sneaking out to spend his days in the public library reading anything he could get his hands on.

Harry practiced his magic whenever he could when he wasn't reading, or learning how to do various things. Currently Harry was in the process of teaching himself French, Latin, and how to read sheet music. Now that he wasn't crammed into a small cupboard for hours on end he progressed exponentially, but that didn't help him with John Lester.

He got very good at running silently, knowing the escape routes the moment he entered a room and he NEVER let his guard down for a moment. Nevertheless John still caught him sometimes, beating him mercilessly when he did. The administrators couldn't care less by Harry's third month there it had become very clear he was abnormal, strange things always happened around him.

Harry even got his nickname back; one he thought he wouldn't hear anymore, F.R.E.A.K. They whispered it when he walked by, they yelled it at him when he refused to talk and they repeated it like a prayer when they beat him into the ground. He never said a word though, he took all of it in silence because that's all he knew how to do to take it work hard to better himself and never complain.

His time with the Dursleys had trained him well to be able to take all the abuse thrown at him yet again. One day John and his cronies caught him; it was a day that would change the course of his childhood forever. Harry had been at the orphanage for four months now and he knew how to get away most of the time.

But he didn't John caught him on one of the many abandoned wings of the orphanage, Harry expected a beating what he didn't expect was for John to tell Flick and Doyle to hold him down. Usually they backed him into a corner and all three torn into him this was new.

John told them to pin him on his stomach and to make sure Harry didn't move. When Harry heard the click of John's knife he started to thrash around it was the first time he had fought back but it wasn't enough. He hissed in pain when he felt John slice into his back.

"STOP…moving freak!" John said with his nasally voice, "almost done…". Tears leaked unbidden from Harry's eyes as John cut through his skin on his back just below his neck between his shoulder blades. "Hehe see that Doyle now everyone will know what he is, see F.R.E.A.K, FREAK!!! HAHA now no one will ever be fooled they'll always know what a freak you are!"

Harry didn't say a word when they got up, suddenly he saw red he was so angry he screamed he shot up from the floor and turned on them. The building shook and wind swirled around him. He wanted to HURT them wanted them to scream in pain and he felt within himself his magic stirring.

He laughed crazily latched onto the magic within him, dark, deep and angry he lashed out at them with it. Harry saw it strike the stunned boys and in the next moment they were screaming in pain. The three of them fell to the floor thrashing about, screaming, biting themselves and crying in pain.

Eventually the building stopped shaking and one of the staff found them. But Harry didn't stop torturing them laughing as their eyes cried tears of red blood. They died a few minutes later, skin piled from their bodies, eyes blown from their sockets and pooled in their own blood.

Harry had never thought to use his magic to fight back before and from then on he used it to do just that. No one could prove he had anything to do with the three deaths but they all knew it was him. Everyone was frightened of him now; whenever someone did anything he found offensive they suddenly fell to the floor in pain. They learned very quickly not to mess with him.

He turned seven quietly, Harry never celebrated his birthday before and he figured he never would. He stayed to the streets most of the time and became an exquisite crafty thief, he could rob a man blind and it wouldn't be noticed 'till hours later. Harry continued his studies determined that if he had to be lowest of the low right now he'd be the best.

He stole a violin from a music store and after only a week of practice he had the instrument master. Harry moved to piano after that, now that had been interesting to steal and slightly complicated. He was never arrogant because he was convinced it made you blind; in fact he was almost certain he could always do better it was never enough.

Harry wanted more out of life, more knowledge more power, just more he needed to be the best because that was all he had. After a particularly bad beating (outside of the orphanage) Harry decided it was time to learn to fight back physically as well as magically.

So he put forth some of his savings from his various thief's to get a personal tutor in a dojo, and as with everything he studied mercilessly. In all he was only getting an average of five to four hours of sleep a night from studying: art, etiquette, science, math, magic, music, philosophy, dance (any great fight can dance gracefully), martial arts, and poisons. That was all on his free time when he wasn't stealing various things.

Anything that interesting even the slightest he had to be the best at, it didn't matter if it was as simple as being able to have a highly sophistical conversation, table manners or being able to play so beautifully that it put Mozart to shame. Four months after he turned seven another significant event happened, a girl came to the orphanage.

Most of the time he didn't care at all about the coming and goings of new orphans but Suzie was different, she was two years younger than him and had lost her parents to a car crash. That was not what made her interesting to Harry, he felt it, magic coming from her and that was enough to gain his undivided attention.

She was a strange one, shy and weird things always happened around her the other signaled her out immediately. Harry didn't know what it was that made him approach Suzie when she came he really didn't care if they tried to beat to 'abnormalities' out of the five-year old but something pulled at him.

Harry finally decided that since she was magical that made her special like him and the unique deserved his albeit begrudging protection because who knew when he'd need certain allies. He waited a week for the thing he knew was going to happen to occur, they cornered her in the living quarter side of the orphanage and were about to tear into her when he stepped in.

He never spoke, not ever so when his chilling voice was heard for the first time they four bullies froze in their tracks from sheer terror. "Leave." Harry commanded simple clean and said a million different things with one word: she's under my protection if anyone hurts her they will die/disappear **painfully** was one of the many things they got from that one word.

From then on Suzie followed him like a puppy, chattering away knowing he wouldn't ever say anything back and after a month she had integrated herself in his life. She even had taken to calling him 'big brother' and holding his sleeve wherever they walked.

Because Harry had his own "income" it was very noticeable that the two of them were much better off then the others, their cloths were of great quality and new. Suzie didn't want for much and she never was miserably hungry like the others because of small meals. It became incredibly obvious that Harry took very good care of himself and her somehow so much so that even they were terrified of him they kissed up to him extensively hoping to gain his favor.

No one ever did, only Suzie with her big innocent golden brown eyes and warm chestnut red hued hair ever got attention from Harry positively. He didn't take her on his pick pocketing expeditions and left her with a daycare (that he paid for) for some unknown reason he wanted to keep her innocent childhood as intact as he could.

She studied with him whatever interested her (mostly cooking, and gardening) and Harry taught her to read/write. Suzie sleep with him in his room because she was afraid to sleep alone Harry didn't mind as long as she kept to her side. Harry still never talked much but when he did they were alone in their room.

Suzie loved his voice when he spoke, it was soft, elegant and made her feel incredibly special she was the only one who had heard his voice like that. Harry spoke sometimes when it was necessary in public but his voice was always only cold and had a sharp edge to it.

Harry could be terribly charming when he wanted she knew it, he had literally talked her way into a daycare/preschool without a parent to consent. Every one of her teachers adored him and said he was utterly well mannered for such a small boy. Sometimes when she did really well with her studies and exceeded better then expected Harry would play for her those were the times when she felt wholly rewarded. There was nothing more beautiful then to hear her 'big brother' play and she was undeniably proud that she was the only one so far that had ever heard him.

Most of the time Harry wasn't completely sure why he was so kind to the girl however he admitted that she was the only one he had ever met that was as special as him Suzie deserved special treatment. Harry still continued his studies on his own when she slept tirelessly self-teaching himself magic.

On night Harry was sitting there in his thoughts when it occurred to him that not once had he ever **thanked** his magic, he knew enough of magic and etiquette to know magic had a 'mind' of its own. Magic had blessed/cursed him with itself and he had yet to thank it for doing so. Harry turned inward in meditation like he had been taught in his martial arts training he sought out his magical core just like every time he performed magic on purpose.

When he found himself there immersed in to floating in the endless green that was his magic he said quietly but forcefully "Thank you" in a soft elegant voice. The reaction came immediately; magic surrounded him, not just what he associated as 'his' either.

It wrapped around him filling him up he couldn't breathe so he couldn't scream it attached itself to every part of him, his blood, his body, soul, magical core and mind was immersed in it. Then as quickly as the sensation had come it was gone, leaving him breathless and feeling very strange.

Harry knew that he had just been given something very rare a gift, he could literally feel the magic running through his veins, his senses were on high, his mind was much more organized and sharper which was saying something he had been intelligent to begin with.

He had read about the effects of drugs on the human body and he felt for certain that this felt like he was high it was wonderful but only lasted a moment. Suddenly he understood magic in a way he had never before, magic wasn't just a tool to be used at his whim it was a partner; a companion and it lifted him above the rest.

Magic had a mind and a will of its own he could work magic before because it had **allowed** itself to be used. Magic loved having a purpose, being announced, and having a conduit to do the things it could. Magic had rewarded him by sharing itself fully with him because he had earned that right by acknowledging Magic as something more then just something to be used in convenience, Harry had thanked it so this was a your welcome.

Surprisingly everyone took advantage of the fact Magic allows itself to be used never once thanking it for all that it does, vaguely he felt gratitude. That was another thing Magic didn't really have clear thoughts in the way say a human or animal would think it was more of an emotion or impression that he got from it that got it's message across.

To magic there was no distinction between "good" or "evil" there was only things one can do and things one cannot do. Magic could do anything nothing as impossible with it. To magic it didn't matter if its dark or light element was used just as long as it was utilized.

The next few months were interesting to say the least Harry learned at a faster rate then before so much so he had extra time during the day so he could start to teach Suzie French, which he was fluent in now (as well as Latin, he was starting Italian next). He let his birthday pass like any other day though he did tell Suzie and a simple "Happy Birthday Big Brother" and Harry turned eight without much fuss.

Magic came much easier to him now and he enjoyed learning what he could do with it because although he had been gifted with an obscene amount of power he still had to learn how to use it on his own. Magic hated giving things to people who didn't earn the right to have it which was why most couldn't perform magic like him at least that's the impression he'd gotten.

He already learned how to change things in his room so that he could fit his piano and various other things comfortably while also accommodating Suzie. His bed was much more comfortable now that he did not have to forced into touching Suzie, he wasn't one for letting people touch him.

Harry was looking for his next in downtown London when he felt the most curious thing, Magic and lots of it. He followed it until he was standing in front of a shop called the Leaky Cauldron where he saw various people with magic coming and going. It had been two years since he had left the Dursleys and his appearance had changed a lot. Though he was still small and slim, skin pale as ever though it had a healthy glow to it now.

He had let his wild pitch black hair grow out so now it pooled down to just below his shoulders straight and flaring out (this way it covered the scar on his back proclaiming him a freak). He had let his bangs grow to frame his face they swooped from the tip of his nose to his jaw line effectively covering his scar. Harry's eyes were as green as ever though luminous and slightly slitted since the incident with his magic not that he minded his vision was beyond perfect now.

In all Harry was a very beautiful child, but he was a skilled thief he could be walking next to you and you'd never hear him there. Most of the time he wore long sleeved bottom formal shirts (usually dark green) and a black pullover vest with khaki pants and nice shoes. In other words he looked the furthest thing from a streetwise pickpocket, he saw no reason why he couldn't go in to pick up any information he could on magic.

Unnoticed he slipped into the pub taking to the shadows he never drew attention to himself that was a number one rule for a thief. With practiced ease his fingers slipped nimbly into money pouches that these magical folk carried around listening to everyone for even a scrap of useful information.

Three hours later his patience had bared fruit, his multiple hidden pockets were nearly bursting with all the money he'd nicked and he'd learned a few disturbing things. It appeared he was rather famous in this world, it greatly disturbed him as he had listened to hushed conversations about the "Boy-Who-Lived".

All these people thought they knew him the audacity! They thought him some great savior from heaven to serve their needs, to defeat their enemies!! The strife of this world or any other was none of his concern he refused to be some servant again no never was he going to a servant they would serve HIM!

The Dursleys thought him some slave someone beneath them, these (he sneered) wizards thought him some sort of servant/weapon to rid the world of those they deemed 'evil'. No he refused to be their TOOL and like one of his favorite authors John Milton had said it was far better to reign in hell then serve in heaven!

Harry wasn't exactly angry, he hadn't felt real emotions in a long while but he was offended at these people for assuming things of him. His eyes glowed predator like in their intensity as he gazed at the people around the pub until it landed on an obviously wealthy man walking up the stairs and decided to follow him.

He was rapt in his curiosity when he tapped the wall with a stick/wand opening it to a most amazing sight, and this was his first glimpse to the new world he'd stumbled onto. After nicking quiet a few coins from the arrogant man Harry wandered off to explore this world of magic.

He found a bookshop quickly enough and began to look immediately at the different tomes. A few he was content to learn about later or discover on his own but potions kept his attention. He bought five thick books right off the bat about it and decided he would come back later for more, another day perhaps.

After reading just a few pages of the Potions for Beginners book he found himself in need of a cauldron and various other items/ingredients, so he set out to get them. Nicking from unsuspecting people passing by replenishing his depleted money supply after purchasing the books.

Eventually he came to shop that had everything he needed and plenty of ingredients some he bought others he lifted expertly. He even bought a special bag that he could put everything he bought in it (books included) and still stay as small as his fist, no one really questioned him he had money what else did they care about.

Harry found himself at an ice cream shop of some sort after that just observing the wizards interact listening for any interesting information. An hour later he wasn't disappointed a family had come into the shop, a small redheaded boy, a pretty woman with identical hair and prettier green eyes, lastly a man with black hair glasses and a cocky grin.

It only took a moment for the whispers to break out and what he heard had his fist tightening around his drink until his knuckles turned white. There standing before him was his parents Lily and James Potter along with their **son** Clark. It was then and there that he felt emotion for the first time in a long time something he hadn't thought he'd feel again since he killed the Dursleys in their bed pure unadulterated **hate**.

He glanced at his wrist watch hissing through his teeth it was three he would need to leave now to pick her up on time and as much as he wanted nothing more then to listen to their screams he stood leaving with grace. Icily he said to himself as he got on the bus that would take him to the daycare "Another time, vengeance can wait."

Suzie was ecstatic to see him standing their waiting, as always latching onto his sleeve and chattering about like a good little puppy. An idea was forming in Harry's mind and slowly creeping its way through everything capturing his attention after a moment of contemplation after they reached his room.

"It is better to reign in hell then serve in heaven," repeated itself, over and over in his thoughts sparking something within him.

**A.N.: this is my first Harry Potter Fic! Hope you guys like it and as always, good criticism is noted, reviews appreciated. The more reviews a story gets the more motivated I become to update! P please if you don't have anything useful to suggest in your negative reviews don't post its just mean to do it for the sake of saying something horrible! Sorry about the cliffy next chap will go up when a see the story getting enough positive attention! No point otherwise right? Lol Merci!! **


	2. Suzie

Jaded Eyes of a Prodigy

**A.N.: It seems everyone wants to know WHY I kept Harry's parents alive, but that would ruin a few really great twists I've come up with! Lol I know I portray Harry to be somewhat perfect but he really isn't. If you notice a few hints the reason he is so great at thieving is because people brush off what they don't think of as threats. Harry always wears nice presentable clothes, is very quiet most people take that for shy and he is used to blending in with the furniture so to speak. I will say that these first two chapters are more of background information then the real story and when Harry starts to go to school more of his faults shine threw, right now everyone is either to scared to challenge him or just don't care. That WILL change when they get to school, thanks for the criticism it was very eye opening. **

**Prologue for the wizarding world**

Everyone knew the story of that faithful Halloween night, the story had ran like wild fire not four months after the incident there already was parents putting their impressionable little ones to sleep with tales of the Boy-Who-Lived. You were just foolish if you didn't the "noble" story about how Harry's brave parents were killed defending their son and how the infant himself vanquished the evil tyrant.

However, just as every story tends to lose its most important facts in the telling so did the story of that Halloween night lost some very important details. Everyone just assumed that Harry's parents had died that night leaving Harry with some distant relative to vanish from the wizarding world.

What few people knew was that Lily and James Potter had been NEAR death that night because while Voldemort had cast just some fearsome dark curses on them he had not used the killing curse. Only Albus Dumbledore and a select few knew what really happened that night months ago.

Lily and James Potter had ended up in the intensive care unit of St. Mungos they had yet to wake up the healers were afraid that they might not wake up at all. The surprising thing was that Lily had been a month pregnant when the attack took place and miraculously had not lost the baby. Currently Five months along the healers were not sure if the baby would survive for much longer if she doesn't wake up soon.

One day what one could call a miracle happened, Lily and James after four months and seven days in a coma woke up! The first thing they did when they could think straight was call for Dumbledore they needed to know Harry was all right. Dumbledore almost had a heart attack when the mediwitch called him through the floo network stating that a Mrs. And Mr. Potter had requested he visit them at the hospital.

They were in their beds holding hands smiling sadly at each other when he arrived.

"Albus, Where is my son?" lily said respectfully.

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE OLD MAN!"

"Lily, James I am heartened to see you've awakened."

"Please, answer the question."

"He is safe Lily, alive and well. You should know James, Sirius was imprisoned shortly after the attack on charges of being the death eater who gave away your position to Voldemort."

"WHAT!! Sirius is my best mate! Wormtail was the TRAITER!"

"Quiet right, but I couldn't prove anything while you were asleep so we should petition the Ministry as soon as possible."

"Your off topic Albus, where is my **son**?"

"Lily, I am truly sorry I cannot answer that."

"WHAT!"

"James, Lily you must admit that even our most extreme measures to keep Harry safe had failed! We couldn't protect him when it was most crucial! After you were incapacitated I placed Harry with a muggle family then oblivated their location from my memory…" he went on as they tried to interrupt "…it is the only way Lily the only way we could keep him safe. Voldemort I am sure is still out there weakened but I am positive he is **alive**!"

"Will…will we see him again?"

He smiled in his grandfatherly way, "of course my dear! I wouldn't keep him from you however the only way to contact him is when his letter of acceptance is sent out of course! I told you even I have no idea where he is…it'll keep him safe."

They paled and James held Lily as she cried they missed Harry terribly. Nevertheless they trusted Dumbledore he wouldn't put Harry in harms way as much as it pained them they would wait to see him. Lily clutched at her belly where Harry's little brother was awaiting the world. She would tell him of his brother, never let him forget how much Harry had sacrificed to save their world.

Dumbledore left the grieving couple to send in James' petition to the Ministry of Magic.

--Time skip--

Clark Evan Potter was born June 12, exactly one year, eleven months and nineteen days after his big brother. Lily and James both doted on him but at the same time made sure he remembered all that his older brother had done to protect him from Voldemort.

By the time the time he was two (Harry was four) Clark had developed a sort of hero worship of the entity that was his older brother. In his eyes Harry was perfect and when they finally met Clark was sure Harry would be a very cool older brother.

When Clark asked at four exactly when was he going to meet his brother he was disappointed to learn that because he was put into hiding he wouldn't be seeing him for a long time.

Clark was the spitting image of his father but he had his mother's hair. He had also inherited his father's attitude, Clark loved pranking just as much as his father did and he had also adopted his father's arrogance. However, no matter how hard his parents tried not to be they were very over-protective of their youngest child.

As a result Clark became a strange combination he was shy and nervous a lot of the time but he still had his father's arrogance wanting to show off all the time. They spoiled him at times giving him the extra affection they had for Harry. James got Sirius released finally, two years to the day after his imprisonment.

Sirius lived with them right after that because James refused to let him go beck to his family 'home'. So his godfather doted Clark on just as much as his parents if not more so. Clark had was very happy growing up, his parents kept the press away from him and he was often regaled with tales of adventures of young Harry.

Lily and James never once asked Dumbledore again about Harry, they were sure he was safe and happy. Oh how wrong they were, while they went on with their picture perfect family life their abandoned son was killing for the first time.

Time passed the wizarding world praised Harry for ridding them of the 'evil' that was Voldemort, boys wanted to be him, girls wanted to marry him and everyone else wanted to meet him.

--

Dumbledore wasn't entirely sure what he was doing was right when it came to Harry but damn it all it was right for the wizarding world. He needed to think about the big picture not the small one because this affected the entire world not just one little boy.

He needed Harry and he hated lying to the Potters but Harry needed to grow up away from the fame he couldn't get a big head. Harry had to be strong enough to withstand abuse from the world at large he needed to understand what it was to be the little guy.

Dumbledore had always looked at the big picture Harry would be the ultimate weapon against Tom he needed to be able to control the boy to wield him effectively. He really did have the best intentions at the heart of it just had lost sight of people on the road to it.

As the saying goes the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

--

The years passed with happiness for the Potters and what was left of the Marauders. They all missed Harry of course but they were happy and despite everything sometimes they even forgot him. They were content, Clark flying around on the training broom like little Harry (not quiet as naturally but still good), and playing pranks on everyone around him.

Clark never had trouble making friends, in fact his best friend was two years older then him went by the name of Ron Weasley. Though they had thought Ginny, Ron's little sister, would have had a crush on Clark if she didn't already have a rather large one on Harry.

Clark turned six and it was celebrated with love, hugs and plenty of presents. The Potters around a week after Harry's birthday decided to take a rare trip to Diagon Alley for ice cream, Sirius declined he was still having trouble dealing with the affects of Azkaban.

They were the picture of familial love the whole day, James teasing Clark, Clark Pranking him back and Lily laughing while gentle pulling them apart. She was still giggling softly when they entered the ice cream shop toward the end of their day. They never noticed the pretty Black haired boy with piercing green eyes that stared at them with boiling hate.

Clark only noticed him in passing thinking he looked vaguely familiar as he passed him to get through the door but then his mom handed him a sundae the thought was pushed from his mind.

--' **Chapter 1: Changes**

Harry was still aggravated from the afternoon, he couldn't get the truth about the way they had abandoned him out of his mind. Irritated he glanced over to see Suzie sleeping soundly on the bed peaceful as always.

He found himself wanting to get rid of this, dare he think it, hurt, Harry had thought himself long passed these useless emotions but it seemed every time he managed to kill them off they just kept coming back. They were like cockroaches or something equally unpleasant these emotions that he seemed to never be able to get rid of.

He wanted his childhood back he wanted the peaceful ignorance back he couldn't ever remember experiencing it but he must have. He wanted to feel that, just once, that innocence he was never granted but it was all for not all he could do was watch it in the lives of others.

No, he was a freak a thing like love didn't belong to him, he wasn't meant for it he would never feel safety in the arms of another he was cursed in to be in this deep black loneliness. Grabbing a canvas and his paints he quickly placed in on his stand emotions gripping him once again. Oh, how he wish with all his stony heart that they would just die.

Snatching a brush he mixed the paint expertly, if he couldn't have the innocence he could damn well capture it. Harry closed his eyes and pictured the image in his mind what he thought was the symbol of all he could never be. Brush to paint to canvas, a stroke and repeat he painted all night until he was finished as well as covered with various paint colors.

There before him was his masterpiece of what embodied childhood, it was Suzie with her crocked broad smile, front tooth missing and surrounded by a pale gold glow that he had come to associate with her magic. It was a perfect likeness, it looked as if she was standing there before him smiling and it was one of his best works.

Harry left it to dry while he went to wash off the paint grabbing the necessary clothes, soaps, and towel on the way out. It was dawn the sun barely peeking out of the horizon so he was sure to have the bathroom to himself. He turned the water hot wanting to wash the whole thing from him, a few tears escaped unbidden down his face and he looked for a moment the vulnerable small child that he was.

But just as quick he pushed it all from him refusing to let him be this hurt again, he didn't need his parents he wouldn't need love! Emotions made you weak and your actions rash he didn't need them! But he couldn't get rid of them, that was what torn at him, he was so frustrated that he was more hurt then angry his parents were ALIVE.

Harry had always thought that they were dead and that brought some sort of comfort. That they had wanted him he had been his only comfort the first few years of his life. Now he finds that not only are they alive but also have another son there to take what should have been his place.

He couldn't understand, usually he was very good at grasping things but now all he could think about was how happy they seemed. They had given that boy all he had ever wanted when he was younger, a home, family, and…love. BUT he didn't need it anymore, didn't understand it there was only empty yearning for what he might have known. He didn't know love but it didn't stop him from longing for it.

He bathed quietly after that back to his cold stoic self. His body especially his back was riddled with scars, Harry fingered them lightly tracing the lines that marked the journey that brought him here. Reaching behind his neck he let his fingers flow along the word branded on his back, freak they had made sure he could never forget it.

Harry dried and dressed swiftly after he had gotten the last of the paint off him. His scars were one of the many reasons he hated people touching him, his body had been tainted by **muggles** (he rather liked the word these wizards had come up with for the normals). Harry was tainted and scarred he didn't want people to feel them when they touched him. Mostly as much as he hated to admit he was somewhat frightened of touch, good or bad.

The only one he let touch him, barely, was Suzie and she was only allowed his hand or sleeve. Mostly he thought it was because she called him "big brother" he had taken on that roll. It felt nice to be needed by someone, Suzie depended on him to protect and provide for her so that's what he did to the best of his ability. There was something about seine her smile because of him that made him feel better (most people ignored or feared him, they never smiled). Harry decided since it was Saturday and there was no day care today he would take her to Diagon alley.

He woke Suzie a little early wanting to get out of there before the others woke up and caused problems. Harry dressed her in a casual red dress, a jacket, tall knee socks and comfortable shoes. After he had brushed both of their hair he got what was left of the 'wizarding' money from yesterday and some muggle money just in case.

Suzie was very excited she loved the weekends because that was when she spent the most time with her big brother. She was very ecstatic when she finally saw the 'magic mall' as she put it for the first time, Harry bought her ice cream and held her hand the entire time.

He didn't want her running off or getting kidnapped so he made sure Suzie was by his side the whole time. They explored the different shops, discovering all different kinds of things about magic and how truly special being magical was. Harry used the time to observe the wizards again; it became clear there were a few different types of wizards just as there were with Muggles.

Wizards, like every animal, had a pecking order on which consciously or not they followed to some degree. There was the highly influential, exceedingly rich upper class, the middle class, content but not very significant. Then there was the low class, mainly consisting of the poor and mentally unstable.

Not to say there weren't subdivisions but these were the three main classes that were easily identifiable. Harry wasn't foolish like the arrogantly rich upper class; he knew having the right 'friends' in low places could be very beneficial. Of course everyone had to have some sort of goal in life otherwise what was the point in living and Harry had plenty of goals.

For one thing he wanted to kill his **family** but he very much wanted them to suffer first. Where was the fun in killing someone when they think themselves noble for it, that its some sort of honor to die fighting. No Harry needed to break them first, take everything away until there was nothing left but pain, just like him.

Harry wanted them so broken they would BEG for death, crawling and begging at his feet to end there misery **that** would be when he would strike. That way no one could glorify their deaths; they would be viewed as pathetic worms that had needed to be disposed of.

All that would take planning and years of hard work he'd need allies in all the right places, money for one. Then after all that Harry wanted to make a name for himself; so he would be feared and respected in this world. Then after he has gotten enough power he would kill off those who were not worthy enough to live.

He wasn't foolish, killing off every single muggle would be impossible but controlling someone from the shadows to wipe out most of them would be nice. Maybe start a world war III have them kill each other off, well mostly, then just swoop in and kill off the rest.

Harry would bring this world, this amazing place out of the shadows and into the light where it belonged. However, that all would come about in time for now he decided he'd enjoy the day with Suzie (or enjoy it as much as a person could with emotions locked away as tightly as his).

He bought her a simple silver locket that day it was plain but she loved it enough just for being something he gave her. Harry even paid to get their picture taken the wizarding way, where their picture moved. In it Harry was holding her hand as she smiled up at him a huge grin on her face and if you looked close enough a tiny, **tiny**, smile on his lips too. Suzie almost cried when he had the picture shrunken and sealed into the inside of the locket, it was the only picture they had ever taken together.

Then Harry thought he'd try something, so he found the most deserted shadowed corner of an abandoned alley between the shops and tried to work some magic of his own. He had learned early if you wanted it enough and knew exactly what you wanted magic would be happy to guide you to achieve your goals.

So Harry willed his magic to make it so that the locket would protect Suzie from harm, even going so far as saying that only he and Suzie could take it off (he WAS a pick pocket after all). The locket literally glowed and thumped with power before it settled down and Harry put it around Suzie's neck.

"Don't take it off." Harry said in a serious tone that broached no argument and Suzie who was so unused to him actually talking in public agreed immediately. However, even if Harry hadn't said anything she would never have taken it off Suzie loved it and when he had put it back on her neck after doing magic to it she had felt so safe she would have never have considered it.

Harry took his time to explore the alley this time around since he now he didn't need to think about picking up Suzie, that was how he first noticed the entrance to Knockturn alley. Though he had desperately wanted to explore it he knew better than to bring Suzie down there, Harry knew a dangerous place when he saw one.

They spent most of their day just enjoying this world that they would one day belong to, Harry had made sure he taught her some very small things with magic so Suzie wasn't thrown for a loop later. Mostly she just knew how to make things float a little, Harry thought he'd teach her more things later.

Eventually it got late and they made their way back to the orphanage it had been a long day besides Suzie wasn't used to staying up passed eight (Harry made sure she had a good sleep schedule). The next day was Sunday and it was a day that Harry hated the most out of the week it was what the orphans dubbed adoption day.

They were paraded in front of perspective 'parents' and every so often someone was adopted. To Harry it felt like they were some animals at the freaking pound or zoo that people came to gawk at or they cooed at them he still wasn't sure which was worse.

A couple of times the other kids had tried to get Suzie adopted as a way to usurp her place as Harry's favorite sending the horrible people their way. However, over time Harry learned to use his ice-cold demeanor and flared his magic a little to send them packing.

There were other times when people had taken one look at Harry, he **was** a beautiful child and had wanted to adopt HIM. That was when things got ugly he showed some of his true colors then and usually a very cold very murderous glare that sent chills up their spines sent them on their way.

That day had been different though, Harry felt it right from the beginning something was different about that day and he knew he wasn't going to like it. Suzie was by his side as always clinging to his sleeve and though she tried to hide it Harry could see the hope in her eyes sometimes. Harry knew that even though she was happy with him she wanted a family again, badly; she remembered what it was like to have good parents (he knew he'd never understand he never had the experience).

Harry had gotten very good at reading people, especially when it came to people who had wanted to take Suzie he wouldn't let just anyone take her. Then THEY had come; they were an odd couple like they didn't quite know what they were doing there. They had the most clashing clothes Harry had ever seen like they had dressed in the dark and hadn't looked in the mirror everyone else had written them off as crazies.

Not Harry though he felt it the moment they had come through the door, Magic, they were obviously wizards hoping to find a magical child to adopt. The man was tall well-built and somewhat handsome with sandy blonde hair and warm brown eyes. The woman was equally pretty with a petite frame, dark red/brown hair and laughing cerulean eyes.

As much as Harry hated to admit it they were good people, he **always** knew right off the bat if anyone had a malevolent bone in their body they did not. Harry knew they would make good parents and would love Suzie right when they saw her, Harry just KNEW they were meant to adopt her.

So he heaved a sigh and took Suzie aside it'd be a good fifteen minutes before they got to their end of the 'orphan line' so Harry needed to convince her to go before then. He took her to an empty room close by so they wouldn't be overheard and he could talk without feeling paranoid.

Suzie knew that something was wrong the moment Harry had taken her in the direction of the room he never did that before. He faced her and bent down a little to look her in the eye. Gently and softly he said, "I know you want a family, don't deny it I know Suzie." She looked down a little ashamed, she loved her big brother, really she did he protected her made sure she was educated and even gave her his food so she was always well feed.

Harry was her rock, shielding her from everything that could even think of anything ill towards her; he bought her clothes and school supplies for her daycare. Harry had taught her so many things he was closer to a father even then a big brother but she still missed having a family. Her big brother tried but he could never be physically affectionate with her. That was okay with her but she missed hugs missed feeling wrapped up in her mother's arms.

However, as much as she wanted it she could NEVER leave Harry he was her everything she would do anything for him and even if it meant killing she was willing to do it. Suzie wasn't blind she knew Harry kept the others in line by hurting them but they deserved it in her opinion.

"No big brother I don't want to go." She knew the only reason he would bring this up was if he thought there was someone that was 'worthy' enough to him to adopt her. "I don't want to leave you Harry! What if I never see you again!!" She was crying now thinking about it.

Harry looked at her and sighed he didn't think she would be so unwilling. Nevertheless, he knew she had to go and he would convince her like only he could. "No, it is time for you to go. I will always be with you and we will see each other again I'm sure of it."

"Suzie, if anything you have the locket you can see me whenever you want." Tears flowing rivers down her face she choked, "No." Then Harry did something he thought he never do he pulled her into an embrace and acting on impulse for once did something he never thought he'd do with anyone in earshot…he sang.

He didn't quite know what he was doing but he followed his instincts.

I'll sing it one last time for you  
Then we really have to go  
You've been the only thing that's right  
In all I've done

Harry held her as she slowly calmed, shocked and mesmerized by his voice.

And I can barely look at you  
But every single time I do  
I know we'll make it anywhere  
Away from here

Everything that he sang in that soft gentle unused voice was what he really thought about when he contemplated this situation. Harry knew that as much as Suzie hated to admit it they could make it alone, she just didn't want to.

Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you dear

To Harry Suzie really didn't have a choice, wherever she went she had a spirit that just lit up the room like a star and she just glowed an infectious happiness to the people around her (even though he didn't seem to be as affected as others, sometimes he thought her magic was at work there).

Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you dear

He let his voice fade as his little song ended. Harry held her through all of it and she clutched at him, Suzie found it so sad that the first time he ever hugged her was to say goodbye. When he released her Suzie held his hand tightly eyes still glued to the floor she whispered, "okay big brother. I'll go."

They made it out just in time Harry could see the couple coming their way, and he saw the moment they laid eyes on Suzie they were done for he saw the spark in their eye he observed to be love. And ten minutes later Suzie Lounder became Suzie Forester.

As she was leaving after she had packed everything (which was quite a lot Harry **did** take very good care of her) Suzie escaped and ran back to him hugging him tightly. She looked up at him and put something in his hand forcefully. He looked down to find the only thing Suzie had left of her former family, a silver hoop earring with a ruby drop dangling from it.

It had taken a while to get the story out of her but this earring was all she had left she always carried it with her ever since Harry had known her. Nodding he knew she wanted him to have it (partly to insure that they did see each other again) and he forced it through his left ear piercing it.

He ignored the blood that trailed down his neck, "So no matter how long we're apart, I'll always know its you big brother. Don't ever take it off." Suzie said in a serious tone that she imitated from him he just nodded. Harry whispered in her ear "If you ever need me I'll always be there for you." She nodded tears escaping as she walked back to her new parents, to her new life.

Harry watched her go, feeling something he never wanted to feel again a little sadness but he brushed it off Suzie would be well taken care of and be raised as she should. Still as he sat in his suddenly empty room he pulled out a plain sliver pocket watch with the picture of them, the same one she had in her locket. He had gotten it because Suzie had insisted he get something for himself too.

He closed it with an audible _click_ a moment latter before picking up the Potions for Beginners book throwing himself into his studies. The next couple of weeks that all he did, study, tirelessly learning everything he could teaching himself to be the best at everything he fancied to learn. With his material arts training he didn't need a teacher anymore and was making up a style that would suit him.

His body was too small to ever have sheer brute strength but he was nimble and incredibly fast. Harry even got himself some various daggers to work with, he used his attributes to make a style that would be both deadly and useful to combat the fact he would never be as strong as other fighters.

So, he focused on swift movements hitting small pressure points that could incapacitate quickly and quietly. Harry studied human anatomy extensively so that soon he knew all the vital parts of the body that could kill a man fast or slow depending on his mood.

He didn't neglect his other studies either, still teaching himself various languages he found appealing as well as instruments, and he used his dance classes to complement his fighting style too. It took a while but about a month later he remembered that he wanted to explore knockturn alley so the next Saturday he did just that.

It was a gloomy place, everyone cloaked and in shadows it reminded him strongly of the slums of London. Not that he visited that place often all the good marks were on the other side of town and they didn't pay him much attention on that side making it easier to steal from them.

Harry's uncanny ability to blend in with the shadows came in handy as he was exploring he didn't run into any trouble. He had found that if you acted as if you belonged to wherever you weren't supposed to be people paid you less attention. Its like running away from a predator just gained their attention but if you walked calmly they don't pay you any mind.

It was a fascinating place Knockturn, he loved the feel of the magic there, and dark he was sure felt great. The magic of the place welcomed him as Harry noticed Magic always did when he first stepped into the alley. After about an hour he found himself outside an interesting pet shop filled with all kinds of dangerous animals, he went in without delay it was very appealing.

Inside there were all kinds of animals, snakes, things he that didn't recognize but dangerous nonetheless and all sorts of exotic deadly animals. One snake in particular caught his interest he had never seen a snake up close before but he had seen plenty of pictures in books.

It was a baby by the looks of it barely six inches long; it had sleek pitch-black scales and a dusty dark gray underbelly. Its head was diamond shaped and it had a horned nose. However what caught Harry's attention was its molten silver blue eyes, "your beautiful", he said with awe in his voice.

"Thanksss." At first he was somewhat startled it had answered back but then again this was the wizarding world magic was unpredictable at times. "Can others talk to you?" he asked wanting to know. "No, you the first speaker that has been here in a long time."

That was good; Harry liked to think this just confirmed that even in the wizarding world he was special and destined for great things. "Do you want to come with me?" She nodded her head slightly hiding how eager she was to leave this place. Before he reached into the glass cage however Harry took a look at the grimy inscription under it.

It said that she was called the Horned nose Mamba, extremely poisonous one bite could kill and there was no known anti-venom. She could grow up to a little over six feet in length and was said to be very short tempered. He looked at her again, "you'll not bite me" it was more of a command than a question.

"Never" she replied. So without further delay he snuck his hand into the case so she could slither up his sleeve all the while keeping an eye out for the shopkeeper. Once that was done he exited just as unnoticed as when he entered the establishment. After that he mostly wondered down the Alley looking for anything interesting of useful no one paid him much mind because most didn't notice him unless he wanted to be noticed.

An hour later he found himself in a dank grimy shop that reminded him strongly of a cross between an antique and pawnshop. What had pulled him in there however had been the pristine arrogant blond man however, he had been the one that he had followed into the alley the first time. It had him wondering what such a wealthy man would be doing in this alley, talking heatedly with the storeowner by the looks of it.

Harry was like a shadow blending in and remaining unnoticed by the two men. The blond had an old book in his hand and was basically threatening to kill the man if anything happened to it. Apparently the Ministry of Magic was making raids on houses for dark items he wanted to stash the book here to keep it safe. However he knew the store owner would try to sell it so that was why he basically threatened to kill him slowly should he even think about it before he said he'd compensate him in the end.

The blond man left the book on the counter and calmly strode out of the shop. Now Harry was very interested, of course he had felt the magic on the book the moment he had stepped in the store but what he really wanted to know was what made it so important. The owner was in the middle of moving a pile of junk to get to what he assumed was a safe of some sort and paying no mind to the book whatsoever.

It was almost to easy to glide pass nick the book and silently leave the other man not even aware he had ever been there. Deciding that it had been a long albeit productive day he headed back to the orphanage.

The book, a journal he found out, was old and worn but surprisingly it had nothing written in it only the inscription of T.M.R. on the leather cover. Harry could feel the magic on it, dark but that wasn't surprising considering he had gotten it from Knockturn alley. However, he had no idea what it could do there was nothing inside it, no clues of any sort.

Well he thought the only way he would figure out what it did was to experiment a bit, not the wisest ideas but he saw no other option. So he took out a ballpoint pen and not knowing what to do with a journal/dairy he just wrote: _hello._ Then he watched the page for a minute waiting for it to do something, he wasn't disappointed, the word soaked into the page and _Hello _appeared back in a different writing.

Now that was curious, either someone had enchanted it to reply something he thought was foolish or more likely someone got themselves cursed into a book. Now that was very interesting, it was dark so he was inclined to believe the latter. However, he didn't trust anyone but himself he certainly wasn't going to trust a book whether it was really a person or not.

He put the dairy on his bookshelf he had nicked from one of the unused classrooms in the orphanage and moved into his room when he started to buy books with his money.

Well Harry certainly thought the day was interesting, he got himself a snake (who was currently hunting for mice), procured more wizarding money from some generous bystanders, and gotten himself a cursed book. He still wasn't completely sure way he had taken it but if anything it was very good blackmail material. That blond man had been anything but poor he would probably pay through the nose for it back.

Then again that brought him back to why he would do that, some would probably have assumed that the person in the book had the man were related. Then again most didn't observe people as closely as he did, that blond man looked like he had plenty of power and would have discarded a troublesome relative that couldn't benefit him.

He'd think it over later when he had more information about the whole thing for now it was time to study and then a well-deserved rest.

--'

Seline looked out across London from her suite balcony, she still had no idea what had drawn her here. She still had plenty of paperwork to do back at the school as Headmistress even though it was the winter holidays. Seline hadn't been to London in years then all a sudden that nagging feeling that never left her alone was there, finally she just had enough and gave in.

She had searched the regular places this feeling usually brought her to but no luck, today she would just follow her instincts see where that took her. Seline was a very powerful witch and although she was in fact ninety she didn't look a day over thirty five at the most she was told.

Her hair was long impossibly straight and a deep black, so black that it in fact looked blue almost like a crow's wing when the light hit it. Her eyes were like storm clouds, dark gray, and her skin was a healthy peach not tan but not pale either. Most wizards and witches thought there was only three ancient credible magic schools: Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons.

All had been founded by various powerful ancient wizards/witches and well known. However, what few knew was there was one other school founded before all three of them founded by the two greatest wizard/witch to date. Unlike the other more, ehem, **public** schools Noctiluca had more standards and the students were carefully selected.

Founded by Merlin and Morgan le Fey in the dark ages Noctiluca was a very prestigious very **private** school. Unlike Hogwarts or other schools one just couldn't be JUST magical to be accepted you had to be worthy. The fact of it was that Noctiluca wasn't common knowledge because they were anything but common.

Every student was hand selected by the staff, tested and if they have what it takes they are enrolled. A student of their school had to have certain traits that were very hard to come by one: magically very powerful, two they had to be intelligent and three they had to be able to do wandless magic (something very hard to come by now a days).

Noctiluca didn't start at eleven like the other schools they preferred to start students out at ten sometimes nine depending on how developed they are. Also they didn't have seven short years to cram knowledge into their student's head their school years lasted another three years. However there were exceptions, students who passed their final exam that was given usually on their tenth year early graduated but that was very unlikely.

When Merlin and Morgan founded the school they had done it in the belief that their knowledge needed to be preserved and kept safe. That was why even though they were bitter enemies they built the school, brought in apprentices and taught them everything they knew. To the founders there was no light or dark magic there was just magic that was used in different ways so both were taught at Noctiluca.

Another thing that held Noctiluca above the rest was that there was no discrimination when it came to the race, in other words vampires, werewolves, centaurs, humans it didn't matter to them if they meet the standards they were in. The one fault in the school was that the students, the teachers and even the school itself mainly kept to the shadows.

This was done for many reasons, anyone who attended, or taught at Noctiluca was extremely powerful they didn't want to do hated for it though. Another was that through the years they had seen many wars between the 'light' and the 'dark' they didn't need nor want to be involved in that mess.

Nevertheless, it was because they were so secretive or selective that not many knew of their existence. Seline sighed, she loved her school and was it so bad that she wanted everyone to acknowledge what an ancient/powerful school it was. Oh she knew that the Headmasters and Mistress of the three other schools knew and were awed by their supremacy it just wasn't enough.

Seline sighed and took one last look out her balcony before heading out following whatever was calling her.

--'

When Harry woke it was the day he dreaded and hated again, adoption day. Usually he would have left at the crack of dawn but unfortunately he had woken late, it didn't forebode well he NEVER slept late. He got dressed in his usual bottom long sleeved dress shirt (white toady) untucked, pullover knitted vest (deep forest green) and khakis (black).

Shoes on and after his hair/teeth were brushed he stood in line once again to be viewed. He hated it, it made him feel so low and he was special he was above this. The day progressed in the usual fashion; some spotted him but his cold glare sent them on their way.

Suddenly he felt it, Magic, and it was like nothing he had felt before from someone other then himself of course! Most wizards/witches magic reminded him of a small fire, others if they were somewhat powerful were like bonfires up until that moment he was the only one that had felt like a burning star. 

Harry felt her before he saw her, a burning star just like him someone just as special but what was she doing here now that was the question.

--'

Seline could feel it; she was getting closer to the power that had drawn her to London. The first time she had felt anything like this before the old coot had gotten to it first, and it had resulted in such wasted potential.

Even in Noctiluca you didn't feel power like this until they were older and their powers more developed. Seline had felt it with Tom, this power but it had a immature feel to it that could only be a young one not the trained dominance she was acquainted with in graduates.

This child had so much potential, just like Tom now if only she could get there first she hoped she wasn't to late this time Noctiluca needed power like this it wouldn't do having it wasted on Hogwarts. It would be too, once they had gotten their letter from Hogwarts parents were hard to convince that Noctiluca was the better choice. In Tom's case she hadn't even been able to go near him with that crazy old man his magical guardian.

It was a block away now she was almost there; she dreaded that she was too late. Then, THERE it was an orphanage it was calling her from inside. There were a few cars parked in front and couples hanging around the entrance that could only mean one thing. Seline sneered, she had thought muggles had gotten over that ridiculous adoption day apparently she had been mistaken.

However, it was an excellent cover for her so she didn't complain when she was ushered in to see the children. A pathetic lot they were, underfeed and dressed in rags obviously this was one of the orphanages were the money lined the 'caretakers' pockets.

As sickening as it was they were all muggles and not her concern no she just needed to find the one special child that was radiating all this power. In the end he wasn't that hard to find, for one he may have been underfed but he defiantly had better clothes.

Another thing unlike the rest of the puppy dog eyed bunch vying for attention he was sending glares at perspective couples that went his way. When he turned his eyes on her though she was surprised she was just given an indifferent stare when she approached him.

"And who might you be little one?" Seline asked politely. But he just continued to stare at her with that cold indifference that frightened her somewhat.

"You'd be better off talking to a wall then that one miss." Seline turned to see who had spoken to her to find an old lady standing behind her probably one of the 'caretakers'.

"Oh, and why is that?"

"That one has hardly spoken a word since he got here but when he does you'd best be running the other way." That piped her interest.

"Why?"

"He's dangerous 'hat one, strange things happen to thoughs unfortunate enough to get in his way. Only the lil' un could tame him some'hat but she's gone now."

"Who?"

"Lil' Suzie cute as pie that one but a little funny too. He used to take care of 'er but she got herself adopted few weeks back."

Seline crouched down in front of the boy who had been listening the whole time just not caring if she could take a guess. She was reaching out to take his hand when he stepped back and another hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Best not be doing that ma'am. He doesn't take kindly to being touched, like I said only lil' Suzie got to touch him but even she only ever touched his hand."

This mystery was getting better by the minute, he was such a beautiful child too and with that power he was going to be hard pressed defending himself from suitors when he got older. Nodding Seline turned to the boy, "Would you come with me for a moment little one?"

He looked at her for a moment like he was measuring her worth before nodding slightly before he turned gliding out of the room. Seline saw he seemed to expect her to follow, she did, she always had a weakness for puzzles and this was turning out to be a good one.

Harry had listened to the woman, no witch as she talked with one of the Muggles who ran the orphanage. He scuffed internally at what she was saying it was clear it wasn't deterring the witch at all just getting her more interested. Not that he had a problem with that though, Harry was just as if not more so interested in what this witch was doing here.

She like Suzie was worthy of his attention so when she asked to go somewhere private with him he accented and began leading her to one of the multiple empty rooms.

They just stood staring at each other for a moment before the witch spoke, "I'm Seline by the way, what's your name?" Seline watched him as he contemplated whether he would answer her or not. In the end he decided they would get nowhere if he didn't speak to her, "Harry."

Seline smiled a little, his voice it was smooth and elegant with a commanding tone, not exactly what one would expect of a child. Even though his voice had been quiet because she assumed he didn't use it often. "Tell me Harry what do you know of magic?"

The look he gave her said it all something along the lines of 'what don't I know do I look that stupid to you' kind of look. She chuckled a little at that, "Well now what do you know of the Magic Schools?" At his curious glance she was extremely happy, Seline had been afraid he knew of magic because Albus had beaten her to him once again!

But since he was curious about the schools she had obviously managed to beat the old coot here, "how old are you?" He looked so small but Seline knew looks could be very deceiving. "Eight."

"Would you like to leave here Harry? I'm the Headmistress at Noctiluca Academy the oldest, most elite school in the entire wizarding world, we only allow certain people in through rigorous testing but I'll make an exception for you. There **are** other schools of course but they would require money, and that you spend holidays here, I am willing to let you live on Noctiluca grounds until you gradate."

"Tell me more." Three words she was doing better.

"Most schools like say Hogwarts have failing standards in my opinion, they start accepting kids at eleven and only train the bare minimum letting the students figure out REAL magic after they leave the school. Noctiluca holds itself above the rest, not only do we train you in using magic through your wand but other methods as well including: wandless, through instruments, staffs, various object and even just your voice!"

"We prize education above everything, there are no more then seven students to a class allowing for more focused teaching. Not only do we teach magic but other things as well, like music, art, fighting, flying, math, languages, rituals and much more. Noctiluca is not for the faint of heart we will take nothing but perfection! Classes start at Six a.m. and end at eight p.m. if you can't keep up transferring out will be the result."

"Noctiluca is not a well known school simply because we can't be bothered endlessly by people who are beneath us, we are the best of the best and accept nothing less. Unlike most schools, we offer ten years of education over the usual seven. However if you manage to test out earlier that is fine as long as you are powerful enough we will not hold you back."

Harry liked this already, he had read about Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons (though Beauxbatons was an all girl school) already trying to decide were to apply. Hogwarts was out because it was too risky the Potters were sure to go there and he already hated Dumbledore. Beauxbatons was much too full of idiots for his tastes and Durmstrang had been a possibility with its dark arts program. But this was too tempting to pass up…well almost.

"And the Dark arts?"

"We teach ALL forms of magic, light, dark, elemental and even creature nothing is overlooked in Noctiluca." Seline said confidently.

He was quiet a moment eyes boring into her, Seline felt as if her very soul was laid bare for his inspection it was an uncomfortable feeling. "I will go."

Seline flashed a smile, "wonderful, Semester starts August First I will be back for you then, it would be best if you just disappeared from here, yes?" Harry nodded his understanding Seline for all her adamant pushing for him to attend her school did not want to adopt him and he was fine with that. He was doing fine on his own, Harry needed no one and no one needed him.

She left him then without another word; Harry didn't really mind he had a lot to think about. He hated Dumbledore for the same reason he hated the Ministry and the muggles, they abused the authority they had. He had read an assortment of books already just about the wizarding world to get a feel for the place he would step into in the future.

He found out very interesting things, like schooling of magical Children, restriction of underage magic, and the basic by law of the world that had to be followed. Then after that of course he had to look into what kind of etiquette he would need when facing the various groups of magical creatures he was sure to encounter.

Goblins for one were complicated to please but once you have earned their respect a great deal of things could be opened to you. Or it would just make dealing with them easier. Then Purebloods, like old English society codes he had already studied and mastered pureblood elites preferred the indirect route.

They never said what they really mean; a master at their ways was purely emotionless and cold always calculating what could raise their status. To deal with purebloods was something Harry wasn't looking forward to because they talked quite a lot to state a simple meaning through subtly.

Its not that he felt he couldn't talk it was just that he was always very weary about what he was saying beyond those words. A 'hello my name is Harry' could be interpreted in many different ways. He could just be introducing himself, or he could or just insulted you by assuming you wanted to know his name.

Then there is the fact that too casual an introduction indicates low breeding, to formal means that you consider yourself above the person your talking to. If you don't introduce yourself at all indicates you want nothing to do with that person, even the WAY you say things can be interpreted in many, many different ways.

A '**hello **my name _is _**Harry**' says that the person was to idiotic to not know your name and states that you are superior in that they SHOULD know your name. In all talking was way to complicated and subtle an art that most people never mastered. Harry didn't talk not because he didn't want to just that he hadn't quite mastered the art himself and didn't want to make a fool of himself saying something dim-witted.

Soon though he'd have no choice **but** to talk that was where the trouble laid in words, if spoken carelessly, could be more damaging then actions. All one has to do is **say **that someone did something unseemly then even if they had never done anything like it the thought and doubt was still there.

Harry could go up to the authorities say that one of the caretakers had done something unprofessional in their words or touches; then there would be an investigation. And even if the charges were dropped there would still be that doubt started by words tickling at the back of people's minds whenever they looked at him/her.

Words, like power, could do many things that most don't realize. Words could get you out of or into trouble; words could ensnare the sense and mesmerize the mind. The proper words in the right places could get you undying love or undying hate. The right insult could mark a person so deeply that they could never be rid of it so that it slowly drove them mad.

Harry had seen it happen because he watched people as they ignored him had seen the affect of words. One girl had been interesting to watch for a time on his regular jaunts to steal from people, she was a somewhat attractive girl, brunette, doe eyes and sweet demeanor.

However, one particularly vindictive girl told her to her face she was ugly, and that no man would ever want to touch someone as hideous as her. The effect had been subtle at first, she had brushed it off quickly enough but the seed had been sown. Harry had watched in brief moments on the street when he'd passed her.

When she thought no one was looking she would check herself in a mirror that she kept in her pocket; then it evolved to where the next time Harry had seen her it was clear she was starving herself. Then over the course of the year he had seen her with various boys on her arm walking. The boys were never the same, always different, different faces, hair, styles but all were the same in that they were males.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had turned into something she hadn't wanted to become after he had seen he silently crying as a man kissed her. Harry knew that eventually that seed had blossomed in her head nurtured by her insecurities until she had believed herself to be undesirable.

Soon Harry would have to talk regularly and with grace in a world he wasn't sure he was ready for. Teachers, classmates, and even strangers would talk to him and he'd be obligated to speak back. Harry knew it was more respect for the power of words then the fear of speaking that had kept him mute for so long.

The months passed in a blur for him, a haze of learning franticly anything he could so that he was prepared for this world he was about to embark into. Before he knew it, it was a week before August First and he found himself sneaking out with all his things packed into a magic trunk the size of his palm that could fit more then he had in it.

--'

**A.N.: The next chapter will be more in dept about Harry and what makes him tick. School, friends, lessons, nightmares and cursed books things will get interesting. Next stop: Noctiluca Academy.**

**In case you're wondering Noctiluca means Moon in Latin. I thought it appropriate, the moon is both light and dark; it has always been shrouded in mystery. Noctiluca is something of a not-so-secret society of the elite the Ministry, headmasters and mistresses know of it though they do not speak of it.**

**Most of the world doesn't have a clue it even exists but it does. And over the centuries it has come up with diverse methods of keeping it that way. As always please review the next chapter will be up when I see some positive attention! Lol **

**Merci! **


	3. Noctiluca Academy

**AN: Gomen! This took longer then I thought it would! My fingers just won't listen to me anymore and the story just took on a life of it's own! Well I hope you like this chapter it's mostly a filler to let you know some important things before all the action happens! Please read and review as always the more reviews I get for any one story has me updating faster! Lol I hope you like it! I'm trying to get a beta to help me out but for the life of me I can't find anyone so please forgive some errors for now! Thanks! Review and tell me your thoughts I love taking them into consideration when I write! **

Harry sat in his rented room staring at blank walls, wondering for not the first time what it was he was doing with his life. He would be going to his new school in two days. A new school, new people, new choices, new attitude, and a brand new life once again. 

He had remade himself so many times to survive this would be no different but then again maybe it was Harry wasn't quite sure. If there was one thing he hated it was, not knowing something and he was about to step into a whole lot of the unknown. He would be weak again… everyone would be magical and he would be a target once again. As much as he hated to admit it Harry was frightened no longer would he be able to strike back the only way he could because his opponent would strike right back. 

Sucking in a breath he pushed his fear and apprehension aside even if he was to be bullied once again he would endure like always. Besides he would throw himself into his studies and build in strength any who struck out at him would rue the day eventually. Harry griped his knees embracing himself, comforting himself just as he always had. 

He missed Suzie; she had given him a purpose before her he had not known just what to do with himself. Suzie whether she knew it or not had kept him going when he didn't know why he still strove on. Prior to finding out about his parents he had not known what he wanted out of life, now he wanted revenge it drove him for now but he knew it wouldn't last. 

What good was life if he wasn't living? Harry knew darkness, had looked into the abyss and welcomed it; however he had no drive passed his vague goals. It wasn't enough he realized his life was missing something vital, something Harry thought he'd never find. 

He pushed these thoughts aside for another day they would do him no good to dell on right now. After a lot of pestering he had finally found out where Noctiluca was, Avalon, the legendary lost magical land that was said to be myth. On Avalon there are a great variety of things that had taken refuge on its land over the years. 

Not only did the school reside there but also a few towns as well. Tribes of werewolves, vampires, rare dragons, and all matters of magical creatures that most wizards could only dream of seeing all lived on Avalon. Noctiluca just kept getting better and better, Harry wondered if he would be allowed out of school to explore.

-----------'

Seline had gotten him all the books and supplies he would need for his first year when he had left the orphanage. Needless to say he had read through all of them at least once, classes would be tough and long testing him every step of the way. Today he would see Avalon the place he would call home for the next decade for the first time. 

If he hadn't schooled himself into impassiveness a long time ago he'd be shaking with excitement. There were many things he was weary of but much more he anticipated with joy. He had learned from Seline that Noctiluca held themselves above the rest and did things very differently from the rest of the magical schools. 

For one the students weren't divided, since Noctiluca typically had lower numbers there wasn't a need for it anyway. So instead students were divided by year, first through third sat together, fourth through seventh sat together and eighth through tenth ended that. Noctiluca prided itself on its unity, the wizards/witches they turned out were unique even in a magical society they stressed kinship in school so one had allies when they graduated. 

In fact it wasn't uncommon for classmates to marry one another from the bonds formed while attending school. They only segregated the girls and boys in there own rooms for privacy's sake. Class started at six, ended at eight with an hour break for lunch. Almost all classes were two hours long except for etiquette, which lasted an hour to make room for lunch. Seven classes a day each intensive in their own right, they were as follows (for first years, light and dark arts): Transfiguration, Charms, History, Etiquette, Rituals, Potions, and Elemental Magics. And that was for just three out of the six academic days. 

School was held from Monday through Saturday and Sunday was the only day off. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the aforementioned classes were held. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday there was: Music, Spell creation, Runes, dance, Magical creatures, Healing and Dueling. 

All classes that involved casting magic trained their students how to do so using their wands, wandless, staffs, and beginners' instruments. Classes like history and etiquette covered not only the basics of their fields but the strategy behind the works. For example in history not only would they study battles but the thought behind them, what made them good/bad, what could have been done to improve them and their relevance to today.

Etiquette mainly found its use in how to properly manipulate someone without his or her knowledge, exceedingly hard to do in its own right. Mostly this class was needed so that students after graduation could find a job without the pesky problem of where they got their education. The art of conversation and manners could get you as far as you want in life. 

In Rituals they would not only study blood magic, runes and basic rituals but also warding and other beneficial studies. The school library was extensive and the teachers encouraged studying on your own in anything that interested you. Also if so desired there was also night classes you could sign up for that weren't required but still offered. 

All this information ran through Harry's head as he stood next to Seline on a rickety boat that reminded him vaguely of a Viking war vessel that he'd read about somewhere. They'd been 'sailing' for an hour now in this thick mist and Harry was wondering when they'd finally reach Avalon, not that he would ever ask. 

Ten minutes later he got his answer as the mist broke through and the shoreline appeared. However they were not alone, at least eight other boats were floating along beside them taking their passengers to the enchanting island. Noticing Harry looking at the other boats/occupants Seline bent down to his ear, "There are ten firsties this year including you, a record for Noctiluca."

"Six boys, four girls, however you are the only one who has no creature blood in you as far as I can tell quite surprising really. The boys: Simon Mariotte, Alexander Spyri, Logan Kohler, Gabriel Aquatos, and Leon Holder. The girls: Ophelia Eyebright, Cleo Idlewild, Flora and Fauna Steelweather. Simon is an elf; Alexander is a vampire, Logan, a werewolf, Gabriel, a water elemental and Leon fire elemental. Ophelia is part furie and part elf, Cleo part silkie and part wind elemental (don't ask me how it worked); Flora and Fauna are twins half siren and half human."

As she said this she pointed each student out in turn. Simon, the elf, was a tall brunette; light sky blue eyes and a muscular build for a ten year old. Simon had a healthy tan that one gets when staying out in the sun. Alexander, vampire, short spiky ebony hair and shining silver eyes, tall but shorter then Simon, also ten. Alexander was also the only other one that was somewhat pale, but it was to be expected of a Vampire. 

Logan, werewolf, had a roguish mane of white hair falling to his shoulders, stunning amethyst eyes, easily the tallest of their class and also had an impressive build for a ten year old. He had a nice even tan that went well with his light hair and startling eyes. 

Gabriel, Water elemental, he had dark blue hair and pale sea green eyes, he was a little taller then Harry but not by much. If Harry wanted to describe his look it would have been willowy because while not pale he was not tan and had a smaller frame. At least Harry thought Gabriel would be fast in the water that went well with what he was though so not much of a surprise there. 

Leon, Fire elemental, scarlet hair and coal gray smoking eyes had a stocky build and the same height as Alexander. Though not as tan as Simon or even Logan, Leon had a nice coloring to him. Ophelia, Part Furie part Elf, had short blond hair and crystal blue eyes she was slim and beautiful. She was what Harry mused the Greeks poets would have said 'perfect' with crème colored skin and rosy pink lips. 

Flora and Fauna were identical, half siren, long purple/black hair and one gold eye one lavender eye they were interesting to say the least. Also they had caramel colored skin that made their eyes stand out elegantly; both were very exotic looking also more gorgeous then beautiful. 

Cleo, silkie and wind elemental, brunette, with soft off white eyes rimmed in pale gray, she was pretty but didn't put enough into her appearance to be as beautiful as she could have. She was the only other nine year old and had a nice healthy glow to her skin, not quite tan but not pale either.

The moment he stepped on the shore of what would be his home for the next ten years Harry felt a jolt of magic shoot right up from his feet. He smiled very faintly as he felt the caress of the magic that made up the island, he felt energized and alive with it. Avalon was the most beautiful thing Harry had ever seen, he could see Noctiluca standing proudly in the distance, forests as far as his eyes could see. 

It was better than anything he could have imagined, Harry just stood there a moment drinking it in. Logan cast glowing amethyst eyes around studying what would be his 'pack' at this new place. Each year stuck together with their classmates and he wanted to see whom he had to spend with the next few years. 

Then he felt it, the pull of power so intoxicating and amazingly it wasn't from Avalon. It was astonishing how few witches/wizards had real magical awareness, sure anyone with an ounce of magic in them could feel magic but very few could pin point were magic was coming from. 

Logan was one of the lucky ones; he could feel that magic calling to him so he sought it out among the people there. A minute later he had found it and whoever he was he was beautiful. He was small, longish ebony hair and those eyes were such a vivid green he had never seen anyone with that shade before. 

He had one hoop earring peeking out from his curtain of hair. He was already wearing the uniform, dark gray long sleeved shirt with a high collar that went down to his knee slits up the sides, matching slacks, and the black over robe (it reminded him of a Japanese school uniform). He had milky white skin and he was most beautiful person Logan had ever seen.

Harry just watched and waited as the others were given time/privacy to change into their school robes. He had finally revealed his true identity (or full identity if one wanted to be technical) to Seline and they both agreed it would be easier for him to take up his alias for now as Tristen Stillnight.

Eventually he would reveal his true name to his year mates but right now it seemed like too much of a risk to his plans. Harry wasn't foolish enough to believe he could accomplish everything he wanted to on his own but he did want to establish a very firm trust before revealing anything. Seline had even covered up his scar with a blood glamour charm that would eventually deactivate though. 

This would be the hardest part of going to school and continuing on his path: relationships. Harry just didn't know how one went about procuring friendships never having had a friend before (Suzie was a sister she doesn't count) and it just never came up. Suzie had been different, Harry had just waited until the right moment to step in to 'save the day' as it were and he had gained her loyalty. 

Now he knew that once the friendships were formed he'd have to upkeep them and like with Suzie take care of their needs that wasn't that much of a problem. Once Harry had them he knew how to keep someone happy the issue lied in getting to that point. With Suzie Harry knew beyond a doubt that if he asked it of her she would do it just to please him now he needed to figure a way to get them like that. 

While he was standing there impassively thinking of ways to interact with his classmates his classmates were studying him and each other. Harry was taken out of his thoughts when he heard a neigh from the path that would lead them to Noctiluca; carriages appeared being drawn by the most queer looking winged horses Harry had ever laid eyes on. 

After he boarded one carriage with Seline, Logan and a middle aged teacher he had yet to be introduced to Harry let his thoughts wonder back to the topic at hand. How was he going to gain something like loyalty from these powerful if untrained witches/wizards? 

In the end Harry decided that like with Suzie he would observe and wait for his chance to start these 'relationships' that would carry him through to his goals. It was all a matter of patience really and he had plenty of that. Once he had them in his grasp though he would have to think of a way to make his goals their goals, they would be more productive that way. 

A twenty-minute carriage ride later had them standing before the glorious Noctiluca Academy and entering for the first time its hallowed halls. The other attendants/teachers drifted off into the grand hall where the feast would take place while Seline lead them to the testing chambers. 

This would be their final test. "Now I'm sure you're all anxious to join the other students in the grand hall but as your guide has probably told you there will be one final test. This will make or break your stay here at this prestigious Academy. The doors to my right each contain an individual instructor that will administer the test."

"Each potential student will be tested by yourself, the outcomes are always different. Unlike some schools that sort their students we follow no such rule instead this test will determine what your strengths and weakness that you have. In this way we can help guide you when you choose your elective classes second year. Now as I'm sure your all hungry and tired choose a door to be tested then we can be on our way." 

Everyone lined up to a door but before Harry could grab one he felt a hand on his shoulder leading him to a door he hadn't seen previously. Seline obviously wanted him to test in this room, not that it really mattered to him. Harry just shrugged and entered the room determined to do well. 

The room itself was very dark the only reason he had no trouble with it was he tended to like the dark and had adjusted to it over the years. There was a stern looking woman standing opposite him, she looked about twenty, light blue hair pulled into a tight bun, strict brown eyes and she looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but there. 

"Well lets get this done with then, step into the very center of the rune circle," she said gruffly. It was then Harry actually noticed the floor, the room was empty besides them and the floor was the only thing that made this room special it seemed. In the center of the room fanning nearly the entire floor was a circle; the inside had many intricate drawing and symbols etched deeply into the floor. 

At the very center was another smaller circle that was blank with just enough room to stand in. Nodding Harry positioned himself there and silently looked up to the woman in question. In return she threw him a small sheathed silver knife that he caught lightly, "Cut yourself with that let you blood fall onto the designs don't worry as soon as you spilled enough blood the cut will heal the knife will see to that."

Harry didn't really care one way or another he had enough scars what was one more? So he just nodded impassively and before she even registered what happened he was holding his profusely bleeding hand over the designs. 'That settles it this ones definitely interesting and a little loony,' Arielle thought as she watched the boy. 

Sure enough a moment later the cut healed nicely leaving no mark behind, Harry didn't even blink an eye. Just then the symbols started to shine brightly white illuminating the room as bright as a sunny day. Arielle looked a bit unsettled at that but made no comment on it. 

There was a groan, and then a clicking sound as the room rotated revealing an opening as it turned. "okay kid," Arielle said pointing behind her into the dark opening, "in there is a bunch of wood from around the entire globe all you have to do is concentrate on your magic the circle will to the rest."

Again Harry nodded and closed his eyes and focused solely on his magic feeling out the flow of it like the very blood in his veins. Arielle watched him intently; this was one of the hardest parts finding your magic wasn't simple and if you didn't tune to it just right you got the wrong wood. 

A minute later Arielle's eyes widened in shocked surprise when two very different very ancient pieces of wood flew out of the opening and straight toward the boy like bats outta hell. She recognized both but it shouldn't have been possible sure there had been instants in the past when a student got more then one piece not like this though. 

He had gotten two very different pieces, different in every way from their nature to their color: one black one white. No one had ever done that usually two similar pieces came out if two came out at all not completely clashing like this. The white piece was from the white birch tree, five thousand years old and from Avalon's forest. It would do very well in the light magics, especially healing. 

Now the black piece, that was slightly disturbing in and of itself from the dark forest on what had once been Atlantis. The Tartarus tree pitch black it the last of its kind from before Atlantis was lost prefect for the Dark arts it would do well with dueling defense or offense a curse from that was going to hurt…badly. Pulling herself from her thoughts she addressed the puzzle before her. 

"Good keep it up now for the next step," that said the room turned once again revealing an opening as the other was closed off. "In this one keep yourself focused on your magic this opening has various magical cores you'll feel a pull towards something…pull back." Just as she said this Harry felt it the pull or call so he tugged back. Suddenly three bright balls of light zoomed out the opening merging together to surround the pieces of wood making just one bright ball floating in between Harry's outstretched hands. 

Arielle was just about to explain the last final step when there was a roar and the sheer magically energy erupted from the floor. It felt almost like being inside a hurricane, of at least that's what she imagined the power rushing up to surround Harry making his hair, and clothes fly upward as a result.

The circle glowed brighter so did the ball, then there was a flash and before Harry was an elegant wand. Twelve inches, the black and white pieces entwined beautifully the handle was smooth and there was a graceful design of a rose around the handle. Then, Harry felt the tug again and knew it was far from over. 

Another flash and his wand morphed into a staff, taller then him it was solid black but at the tip there was a ball of white that was held in place by what looked like black vines surrounding it. It was perfectly straight and polished; gorgeous really to him again around where Harry felt comfortable holding was an attractive design of a single long stemmed rose. 

One last feeling of being pulled at, Harry just let his magic and the circle do what they will. With another flash a stunning violin was floating before him, pure white with a black bow. Once again around where he would place his chin the rose appeared proudly magnificent. With one final flash the wand/staff/violin disappeared into his hand and the small design of a rose appeared in the palm of his hand. 

Harry just stared at it in wonder for a moment, 'so that's why I didn't get a wand yet from Seline the final test was to create our mediums through our magic…clever,' Harry thought. After practicing until he could summon his mediums with ease Harry had his instructor show him to the room he would spend the next ten years in. 

Each year had their own dorm where there are rooms and a common room, which gave them privacy. The common room was like a living room; it had a fireplace, comfortable chairs/couches and a small library of books. From the common room you could gain access to the rooms each room had their name engraved on the doors. 

It reminded Harry of a hotel with names instead of numbers, each room had a good sized bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a bookshelf filled with the books needed for their classes. There were two bathrooms one for the boys to share and one for the girls to share. 

Harry's room was just like the other's but his colors were different he had chosen the darker shades of green, silver and black. And of course his door read: Tristen Stillnight instead of Harry Potter. As soon as the instructor left Harry fell upon the bed in exhaustion letting the day's toils finally show upon his normally stoic face. He had been too tired to join the other in the grand hall for the feast but he figured that he could get to know these new 'comrades' tomorrow. 

Just as his eyes were drifting shut there was a pop behind him so curious he turned to the noise knowing he was safe in Noctiluca, which was why he wasn't to worried. Searching his new room he found a small strange looking creature standing near the window of his room it had big floppy ears, was green, had huge open eyes and was shorter then him. 

"Hello, what are you doing here?" 

"Hello young master, Twinkle's here to serve. Is there anything young master wants?"

"No, I'm alright Twinkle."

"Okays young master…did yous want me to bring you breakfast in the morning?"

"If you would Twinkle?"

She smiled nodding vigorously; she curtsied and popped away once more. Sighing, Harry stripped down to his shirt and climbed under the thick fluffy emerald covers to sleep. He awoke in the morning around four like always and set to work organizing his books/clothes for the day. 

Twinkle appeared at five for a wake up call and was surprised to find her charge already awake. "Young Master be wanting his breakfast now?" With a nod from Harry she popped away and returned a moment later with a tray laden with all sorts of food stuffs. 

"Twinkle, does every student have a house elf?"

"No young master is being the first master Twinkle has served."

Curiosity aroused Harry questioned her further, "What do you mean?"

"Twinkle is not allowed to say young Master…but yous be very special."

Realizing he would get no further with the elf he let it go for now. Classes began, with only ten students they had more focused tutelage and no one was left behind. For the first week in all classes they mainly had theory work so they could understand the basics before moving on to more challenging work. 

Even though it was just theory, it became apparent by the end of the week to the teachers that Harry would be the top student and a favorite. He was always…always polite and proper it had the Manners Mistress in Etiquette crowing by week's end on how Harry would be her star pupil. 

Each class was very interesting and challenging in their own right. Healing had them focusing on studying the human body thoroughly before even attempting to learn theory. Each class had its own appeal focusing equally on each student to make sure they understood. 

Music was an important class so they would be able to use their instruments in other classes. Music was one of the most difficult because unlike the staff, wands or a raw form of magic music was far more focused and potent. To cast a spell using their instrument to get amounts of concentration, a good grasp of your own flow of magic and a strong will. 

Magic through music was rare in the world now, but once it had been very important. Music unlike other magic can cast spells over large crowds of people for good or ill. It had been used a lot in war and was very effective, especially now that the art was almost forgotten. 

Harry threw himself into his studies like he always had focused on being the best of the best as it were. However, he still let himself observe his year mates whenever he could. He was the only one apparently that could tell the twins apart and took lengths to greet them by their correct names. 

Cleo was content to be the wallflower and to shy to approach just yet. Ophelia had a strong sense of justice not surprising considering her mother WAS a Furie. The boys he hadn't paid that much attention to because he had always gotten on better with girls then boys so he'd focus on them later. 

No one really talked to him though mostly because he kept to himself remaining to the background. Logan did like watching him though when he thought Harry wouldn't notice but he did (though he thought it'd be good to use for future alliances). That and he wasn't comfortable talking to them yet, not used to that sort of thing. 

It came as a surprise to Harry the following Sunday, their first day off, what he found when he was wondering the halls. There was little Cleo, surrounded by older snobbish looking girls being hassled. He took a moment to really study Cleo then, her skin was a little dry, her hair a tangled mess and eyebrows wild, lips chapped. Most when they saw her saw an ugly average girl, not Harry though all he saw was a potential to be beautiful. 

The girls surrounding her ranged from second to third years, all were somewhat pretty but to Harry their horrid personality made them unbearable to look at. One snobbish girl (ringleader apparently) advanced on Cleo, "Well, if it isn't my ugly little cousin. No friends at all? Then again who would want to be near **you.**" 

She pushed her and Harry decided it was time he stepped in. If there was one thing he hated it was a bully, the fact that this girl was Cleo's cousin brought up memories best left alone. Ignoring the pounding of his nervous heart he briskly walked up to Cleo pushing his way through the thuggish girls completely ignoring their presence. 

He let himself be noticed for once letting his magic flare and presence speak for him. "There you are Cleo, I've been looking all over for you. I thought we were meeting in the common room…or was it the Library?" Grabbing her hand he held her at his side protecting her from the other girls' view. 

"Whose this cousin? Someone finally take pity on you?" the girl taunted at their backs. Harry tightened his hold on Cleo's hand, he turned, "Actually, I'm her friend and I suggest you leave her alone from now on…so many _**accidents**_ can happen in such a big palace don't you think?" Harry said icily giving them a glare so frigid and unforgiving that it caused a shiver to run up their spines. 

"You didn't have to do that you know…" Cleo mumbled as she followed him obediently. Harry resisted the urge to scuff, and just pulled her unceremoniously into his room. She looked around suddenly anxious, not sure what she was doing there. "Why did you bring me here?" She squeaked panicking.

Pulling a chair out from his desk he said, "sit", and she complied not knowing what else to do. "You have a problem, they will pick on you that much I am certain. Now they will claw at your insecurities, until all that is left is a bloody mess of low self-esteem. Now I will not allow that to happen." 

"Why? Why are you helping me…" she asked weakly. His eyes took a vacant look, "I was you once, but no more I will take away their ammo when I am through with you they will have nothing to taunt you with." His normally stoic face took on an expression of determination for a second before it disappeared. 

He placed the chair in the middle of the room, had her sit down once more and got to work. First he combed her hair, shockingly gentle taking his time brushing her hair until it shone. Her hair was somewhat long but it didn't suit her at all, taking scissors he cut her hair short, layering it to fall framing her face and stopping just above her shoulders. He did an A cut so the back stopped just level with her ears it gave her round face a more elegant look. 

Next he took out the lotion he had made to treat his scars on his wrist (potions and healing books helped with that) it made the skin soft and smooth so it worked wonders with her dry face. Next the lip balm he was experimenting with to help her lips; lastly he carefully plucked her eyebrows to graceful arches. 

Through all this Cleo said nothing, she was not used to being pampered like this which was why he never objected to anything Harry did. When he was done styling her hair and fixing her clothes (getting all the wrinkles out) the end result was stunning. He knew there was beauty hidden in her but Harry hadn't expected her to be this beautiful. 

Pulling out a mirror from his trunk her handed it to her without a word. Cleo looked at it, and then looked behind her because the pretty girl she saw just couldn't be her. Tears sprang to her eyes when she realized it was her, she had never thought she could be beautiful. 

She was the last girl of four, with seven cousins all beautiful, all talented and all adored by her family. She had always been ignored; after all she wasn't pretty like her mother, nor as talented as her father she had never let herself believe she could anything more then a wallflower (an ugly one). 

From then on Cleo, like Suzie before her, followed Harry/Tristen around like a devoted puppy. Harry always helped her with her work, brushed her hair and kept the other girls from taunting her. A month later Ophelia joined their group after hearing Cleo singing Harry's praises recounting how he helped her. 

Ophelia always one a stickler for justice (hello Furie) appreciated Harry stepping in and he had gained her respect not an easy thing to do. Eventually the Twins also joined their group; mostly because they loved that Harry could tell them a part (not even their mother could boast that).

Gabriel came soon after that and with him Simon who was surprisingly his childhood friend. Logan, Alexander (or Alex as he preferred) and Leon joined in with them after that so they wouldn't be left out, well mostly because 'Tristen' fascinated Logan. Though he wasn't the most imposing of the group Harry just naturally took over leadership of the group. 

Harry was very considerate of everything the others needed, making sure that they all were up to speed with the work and happy. He took his time in class to explain anything they hadn't understood, helping with homework and generally keeping them from stressing out too much with his perpetual calm. 

Two months into school the nightmares started, of things he'd rather forget, of beatings, being alone in the dark and that horrible haunting loneliness. Somehow he kept himself from screaming, but he put up silencing charms just in case. He didn't want to show weakness so his group who never really noticed the slight difference in his behavior. 

One day it was just too much and he took Sunday off from the study group to explore the school once again. Harry often brought Grace (the black mamba snake) hidden under his clothes with him everywhere just to have someone he could talk to without anyone understanding. 

It was by accident that he discovered the secret passageway; it opened after he had told Grace to be silent, and it was in the north tower by the bird pens. Curious as always Harry decided to explore this new passageway wondering where it would lead. The hall was dark barely illuminated by the setting sun, at the end a fire flared to life as he stepped out into what appeared to be living quarters. 

He was in what he thought of as a study, books lining their shelves, a desk and comfy looking chairs. "Hello what are you doing here?" came from behind him, Harry spun around quickly. There was a portrait of a gorgeous woman; rich dark brown hair framed a delicate face and strikingly fierce blue eyes. He was used to the talking paintings by now and wasn't too startled to see her talking. 

"Who were you?" 

She smiled, this child was a clever one, "I was once the greatest witch in the world, Morgan Le Fey."

He stood there stunned for a moment, "Why did you build a school with your enemy?"

Morgan looked taken aback for a moment then smirked, "To preserve our collective knowledge of course."

Harry let a skeptic look cross his face for a moment, "Do you REALLY expect me to believe that? Nothing would ever let me work civilly with my enemies yours are no different…besides why not build it on your own."

She was silent for a moment and Harry waited patiently wondering if she'd answer at all. Finally she smiled, really smiled, "You know no one has asked me that in a long time…did you want to listen to a story?"

He looked at her a moment, weighing his options then nodded his acceptance. 

"I think I should start with how I came to hate Merlin more then Arthur and more then anything in this world I hate him. My mother was beautiful, she was desired by many but she loved one man…and one man only. He won her hand in the end, my father, he was so kind and loving."

"They were happy, at least until that stupid ball that ruined everything…that ruined my life! The king at the time was a greedy, foolish man and he desired my mother…desired her so much he put my father on the front lines of his stupid war in hopes he'd die!"

"As the saying goes, 'Radix Malorum est cupiditas' (the root of evil is desire), even with my father fighting for his life the king couldn't wait couldn't rein in his desire so he went to Merlin. Merlin was a meddling idiot, he cast a glamour spell and made Pendragon look like my father."

"He came then, got through the guards easy enough and made it to my mother's bed chambers. But what Merlin didn't know was that my mother had the gift…she was magical to though uneducated…I got my gift from her. We both saw through his guise but it didn't matter he tossed me from her room. HE **RAPED** HER! All allowed to happen so Merlin's precious prophesized child king could be born."

"I knew Merlin was to blame…it was his fault that Pendragon got so close… sometimes I still hear my mother screaming for him to stop. I had pounded on the door until my hands bled, screamed until my voice was hoarse, and cried until I had no more tears left in me. But _**Merlin**_ had warded the room I could not save my mother. My father had survived the war to come home but it hadn't mattered the king he had gotten what he had wanted."

"My mother was broken, my father wasn't the same after what he had seen on the battlefield and what he had learned from my mother. He became so cold so distant. My mother…sometimes she'd rock me in her arms at night muttering nonsense…she had gone insane from what Merlin had put in motion."

"Of course she survived to bear that bastard of a king, Arthur, but not a day later my mother finally could not take the shame any longer she hung herself… just outside my bedroom window the next day. Merlin took the little bastard after that with my mother gone and my father distant Merlin killed what was left of my innocence before I even reached the age of eight."

"I vowed my revenge the day my mother died, vowed to kill the bastard Arthur Merlin's precious 'king', vowed to do anything within my power to see Merlin fall. I knew I could not fight Merlin without the very thing that had made him so powerful…_magic._ So from that day on I dedicated my life to learning anything and everything I could."

"It had taken me nearly twenty years to do it but eventually I became powerful enough to do what I vowed. However, the fates had seen fit to bequest me with second gift, the sight. With it I saw many things and one was the most disturbing I will not divulge what the vision was it has long since passed but I knew that this school this SANCTUARY was important to Magic's survival. So important that I built it up with everything I had, and everything he had we needed to bring this school to life."

"What happened to your revenge? Did you fulfill what you had set out to do?"

She smiled a wicked smile, "Yes in fact I did…in a sense that is. In building the school I had gained Merlin's trust the old coot believed in the good in people way too much. I saw what needed to be done to complete my revenge all I had to do was take the necessary steps. Unfortunately the only way to destroy Arthur was to taint him…I seduced him and conceived his destroyer, Mordred. I never loved him…in fact I despised the child not that he ever knew or guessed I groomed him to kill his father that was his purpose. One bastard to destroy another ironic in its own right."

Curiosity peeped he thought back, "Was Mordred your only child?"

"No of course not! I didn't want my line forever tainted with his brood! I had another child with a suitable wizard later Cassandra was everything I saw she could be and more! With Arthur tainted I made sure that Merlin's well laid plans would crumble round him that was reward enough. Unfortunately Merlin had sired offspring already with his wife so his line would live on… I am many things but I would never kill a child for the sins of the father."

"However, I did slowly kill his wife and then after I made sure that I had torn apart his life and everything he loved I killed Merlin too. I knew when I was to die, had accepted it a long time ago to kill Merlin I had to take him with me to death that was a price I was more then willing to pay. Of course I made precautions with my belongings and my own knowledge beforehand; hence my portrait, this study and my collective books only my heir can open."

"What ever happened to your line? Did it survive?" Harry asked a faint suspicion forming in the back of his mind. 

If it was possible the smile she gave him was even more wicked then the one before. " Cassandra, my one true heir, lived a long happy life she had two children who had children and so on. The most notable from her line that you would know of would have to be Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw." She puffed up in a little pride at that then she scowled soon after.

"Of course, then there is Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff from Mordred's line. It would seem somewhere down the line my line crossed with Merlin's to create those." She said with the utmost disgust whether from Merlin's line mixing with her own or the fact that Mordred had survived to breed he didn't know.

Harry lad a look of realization then, he had researched the Potter line but he hadn't known about how they were related to Morgan! Now all of it made sense, why he had felt so unnaturally (at least to him) comfortable here, why he had a House elf and the others didn't and most importantly why Morgan was being so open with him. "I'm your descendant." He said firmly and with finality more for himself then for Morgan. 

Morgan smirked at him, "More then you think. I know who you are of course everyone who has even a drop of my blood I know them. I had made sure in making this place I had put enough of myself into it that I could reach out to the world even after death my consciousness remains. You are descended from both my Cassandra and Mordred's lines. Your mother would not know this but she was descended from the squibs of both Salazar and Rowena. Of course it is to far back for anyone besides myself to trace."

Inwardly Harry sneered in relief he had hated more then he realized the idea of being related to Muggles even if it's a generation away. Morgan smiled smugly; somehow he had a feeling she knew what he was thinking. "So I am your heir then?"

"Hmmm, possibly I haven't had a true heir since Cassandra died really. I don't just accept anyone with that title you know, it has to be earned…though Salazar and Rowena both came close." She trailed off there leaving him wondering why they had failed. 

A slow self-assured smile was allowed to grace his stoic face for a moment, "I will not fail you." She looked slightly taken aback by that but it was quickly gone replaced by a challenging look. They talked the rest of the afternoon about trivial things before Harry had to leave but he promised to visit again soon. Harry loved a challenge taking her test would surely give and was something he was looking forward to. 

That night as he laid in bed, dreading to close his eyes to be greeted by all that haunted him so but eventually he gave into sleep knowing he would need it. It was curious though unlike what he was expecting his latest nightmare was almost tame almost a dream. He still felt the suffocating loneliness at the start but then there was a pair of deep crimson eyes accompanied by a low hissing voice that both haunted and allured him.

He woke the next morning more confused then anything wondering what those deep crimson eyes could mean. It was Monday and as such the day just seemed to drag on. As usual nothing seemed to escape Harry's observations so it wasn't really a surprise that he took note of Alex's grimace of distaste as he sipped his morning cup of blood. He'd been doing that since the start of term; drinking from the cup then grimacing in distaste over and over again perhaps it was time to get to the bottom of that. 

Harry waited until the rest were occupied with studying or various discussions before he pulled Alex into his room discreetly. Alex looked mildly confused standing there in the dark not really knowing what to do. Unlike the rest of the group that had gotten along rather easily Alex was always felt like the odd man out. Harry eyed him for a moment wondering how he should start this conversation, so eventually he decided to go with the direct approach. 

"Why do you look like you'd rather spit out that blood in the morning then force it down?"

Alex looked a bit startled at the question not quite expecting to discuss his eating habits with Tristen who rarely talked out of anything other then academics. "Ummm What?" he asked with a befuddled expression. Harry let a sigh escape, "Aren't vampires supposed to like blood I mean you guys have to drink it to survive right?" 

"Yeah we do…but I'm not used to it being so cold I usually get it from the source you know. But since I'm in school my parents just set it up so they could send some packaged blood from one of the blood banks we own in the Muggle world…" 

Realization hit him, Alex hated how cold it was used to just biting it from the warm body of someone or something. Now that wouldn't do Harry prided himself on how he took care of his own (so they'd follow him willingly to hell of course but still). He looked up then straight into Alex's eyes determined, "you can get what you need from me." 

Alex literally fell back from shock for a moment before he gathered himself together, "You're sure that you won't mind the pain?" Harry nodded and reached for his high collar but then he paused looking nervous something no one had seen in his group. Unsure, with hands unknowingly clutching his shirt tight with apprehension Harry said, "Just swear not to tell anyone anything you see…" eyes downcast not willing to look Alex in the eye in his moment of weakness. 

"I swear," he agreed not entirely sure why Tristen even asked it of him. Harry reassured slowly unbuttoned his collar baring his neck for the hungry vampire. Alex got his answer when he saw the thin scars outlining Tristen's neck and clearly they were just the tip of the iceberg. 

Sitting down on his bed Harry felt exposed and vulnerable baring his neck awaiting the bite. Somehow more nervous then he had ever been before when Alex sat down behind him. "This will hurt some…ummm I haven't learned how to make it feel better yet," Alex said and murmured an embarrassed "sorry". 

He bit down quickly wanting to get it over as fast for Tristen as he could handle. However all good intentions fled when the first drop of his exquisite blood landed on his tongue. It tasted heady with magic, with power it was addicting in its sweetness… it was like nothing he'd ever tasted before.

All blood taken carried with it something of the user, for instance blood taken in a fight had adrenaline laced in it making it taste heady. Blood taken during a moment of pleasure was sweet and somewhat spicy, or blood from a person with a lot of magical power tasted like a fine wine (or at least that's what his father said). 

However, Tristen tasted like freedom to him or something equally liberating. His blood had a cool sweetness to it with just enough spice to make it absolutely that best thing he'd ever tasted. There was also something else in it he couldn't identify a calming harmony with the world was as close as he could describe it. All in all he was finding it hard to stop. 

Harry started to feel drained and pried Alex off his neck only to have him lick the remaining blood from the twin cuts closing them without a trace. "I'll feed you at night before bed…don't say anything to the others it'll be our secret." Alex let himself out looking altogether dazed and somewhat high. 

The next months passed in a blur making things seemed to go so fast. Harry was the top of his class and he found lessons despairingly easy. The others seemed to fall in line around him so naturally that no one even knew exactly when Tristen/Harry became the unquestioned leader. 

The only highlight for Harry was every Sunday without fail he was in the secret suite talking to Morgan trying in vain it seemed to get her to start his test to become her heir. Most of the time the talked just about themselves which turned into Harry informing Morgan how he found things too easy here. Which in turn lead to him getting private tutoring sessions in parselmagic from her as well as more on advanced magic. 

With Morgan's help Harry was designing a few different Talismans/amulets that would help him a great deal on his quest of life. Christmas came and went barely acknowledged by Harry. In fact the only reason he knew it was Christmas was because everyone in his group had gotten him a little something for the occasion (though none stayed during the holidays). 

None of them knew quite what to get him because as much as he knew everything about them they knew nothing of him. Harry after the first few months went back to his regular self, meaning he was just as cold and distant as ever. However, that didn't mean he didn't take an interest in their lives or who they were as people just the opposite in fact. 

It had become something of an odd ritual for him to every so often take each of them aside one day and have them talk endlessly about themselves. He knew everything there was to know about any of them because for some reason they just couldn't stop themselves from pouring their heart out to him. It helped that no matter how small it was Harry was willing to just listen to their problems and offer advice when he was asked. 

Harry never judged, never lied, and never sugar-coded anything. It was part of the reason why that no matter how cold he seemed or how distant his friends refused to part with him. He knew each one inside and out. He knew why Ophelia was afraid of cramped spaces, and why Leon was so much closer to his mother then his father. 

As much as they had tried in return to get to know Harry though they had been entirely unsuccessful, hell, he barely let them even touch him. That was another thing that had become more obvious as Harry got more confident that they wouldn't turn him away as soon as he showed his true colors. The only one who was by far the closest to Harry so far was Alex but that was more out of necessity then any real warmth. 

So it wasn't really a surprise how odd his gifts were when Christmas rolled around. Cleo got him platinum white gold hoop earrings, Ophelia had gotten him a book on Runes, and the twins got him an assortment of sweets (he'd never admit it but he did have a huge sweet tooth). 

Logan had gotten him a very nice emerald dress shirt that brought out his eyes, Gabriel got him an egg of some sort (he wasn't really sure what to do with it), Leon got him fingerless dragon hide fighting gloves, Alex gave him a set of throwing knives and Simon had gotten him a bow/arrows set. 

Harry was an orphan and couldn't pinch money for his needs like he used to so he hadn't gotten them anything in return they understood of course. The castle was mostly deserted for the holiday so he didn't need to sneak around as much as he usually did when he went to visit Morgan. 

She knew he was coming as usual ready and waiting for him to come. Harry never wanted to admit it but Morgan had become something of a mentor to him always helping him further himself in anything she could. That's why he was visiting her on today even though he never really celebrated the passing of holidays he did want to spend this one with her. 

He knew something was up the moment he saw her face though, that faint sly smile was well known by him now she only wore it when she was going to do something potentially vindictive. Harry sighed knowing there was no use in putting it off if she wanted to do something to him the castle would comply it was almost a part of her that way. 

"What is it today Morgan?" He asked wary for whatever was to come. Her smile widened, "Oh you know me so well Harry…" she chuckled. "I've decided that today you'll have your first test…if you aren't crippled we'll talk about some more advanced Magics I'm sure you'll be eager to learn." 

Harry was almost shaking with excitement finally he could start to move forward it would finally feel like he was taking more steps towards his goals. He smirked, she smiled and there was a WHOOSH sound suddenly a thick ancient looking tome was sitting there innocently on the desk. 

"One could say that book is cursed…or gifted it depends on how you look at it. Before Noctiluca there were no magic schools this academy was the first of its creed that doesn't mean there wasn't some powerful wizards/witches out there willing to teach. This book came to me through one of my various teachers along with a story and a gift that helped me achieve many things."

"Even before we separated from the normals our kind was not taken to kindly, something that will never change. Long before even I existed there was a witch named Pricilla, a very powerful witch she had a rare ability to see magic really see it in all its glory. However, she feared her gift as many feared her because of the unique understanding she had on how magic worked." 

"Eventually she began to hate her gift and in doing so she hated herself. Throughout her entire life she wrote in the book you see before you detailing everything she experienced and all that she knew into it. As her self loathing grew driving her slowly into insanity Pricilla did something entirely unforgivable to herself." 

"She couldn't stand her gift any longer and in an effort to free herself she tried to place it all into this book. Something went wrong during it, she hated herself to much was to far gone in her madness to understand in rejecting her gift she was rejecting her magic." 

"While she was placing her gift into the tome she went to far she destroyed her core and killed herself long the way. Pricilla did however place her gift into the book as she had intended just not the exact way she wanted to. The magic pulsates in it and whoever touches it will be granted her gift of sight."

"The problem comes as the magic in the book imprints itself on your own if you can't accept it fully and with open arms it'll damage your core along with blinding you for life. You see this was not a gift meant to be given around like this it WILL feel terribly wrong as the magic in the book tries to latch onto you because it has been rejected by the original character it is very sensitive to your wants. It will be very painful getting a gift that wasn't meant for you and if in pain you reject it in the slightest if you wish for one moment for it to stop it will lash out at you." 

"Once you touch it there is no going back, I got this gift when I was alive as have all my potential heirs this will be your first test. If you can get this book to grant you its gift and not its curse I will recognize you as worthy to try to become my heir." 

Grim faced Harry approached the book studying it much more closely now that he knew the dangers the innocent looking thing held. He could see it now that he was closer there on the cover was a pair of very disturbingly lifelike eyes, pale blue and full of sadness. Harry knew without having to be told that these were Pricilla's eyes the reason she killed herself and the reason Morgan rose so high. 

With a subtly trembling hand Harry reached for it knowing that within moments he'd be taking a step towards his goals or failing them forever. A deep breath his hand steadied determined to see this through this would help him reach further then even he'd planed. That decided he placed his open palm on the cover of the book calm and resolute in seeing this through to the end. 

For a moment nothing happened and he thought maybe Morgan was just testing his resolve to be her heir then the pain came. It was blinding and made him fall to within an instant biting back screams as his eyes cried rivers of blood. It hurt, it felt like something was digging into his skull and dissolving his eyes within his sockets. 

Harry held firm though he wanted this gift and accepted the pain as the price one must pay to further his goals. White-hot pain in his eyeballs made him give a strangled scream before the pain left and he passed out in relief. Morgan looked down at the young beautiful boy sprawled on the ground, 'Yes' she thought 'he has such potential.' 


	4. Hogwarts, Tinkerbell and LifeDebts

The light was to bright, the noise of his dorm mates waking was to loud, and his head felt like it had been crushed once again

**A.N.: Hey everyone sorry it took so long to update writers block and all! Lol Anyways this is unbeted as always so forgive grammar errors and the like! Tell me how you guys like it and ideas are always welcome! Read and review please as I've said the more reviews a story gets the more I update! I just need the motivation! ;**

**Chapter 4: Hogwarts, Tinkerbell and Life-Debts. **

The light was to bright, the noise of his dorm mates waking was to loud, and his head felt like it had been crushed once again. Damn Morgan and her double-edged gifts! Harry wiped the blood from his nose once again before downing a sip from his silver flask at the bedside table.

He'd gotten the gift to accept him like he knew he would, but what he didn't know was the price he'd be paying in taking it. Magic was extremely possessive when it came to things like that and Morgan had failed to mention the drawbacks of taking something he had no rights to. Pricilla had a truly powerful gift in her magic sight but she when she cast it from herself it had been poisoned.

Harry had touched that accursed book two years ago and some days he really despised his naivety in his rushed decision. It was a price he paid every time he used what he had taken. Oh, the sight opened many doors for him and helped him grow in ways that would take most years; however the pain that came after made him curse it at times.

Whenever he used it the pain in his head would sometimes reach the point where he'd pass out for hours from it waking as he had today with the headache from hell and his nose running with blood. That was why he had limited himself to using it only when it truly would help with what he was trying to discover or accomplish.

Harry glanced at his desk gaze caught on the innocent looking book with the initials T.M.R. elegantly scrawled on the cover. A part of him had always been fascinated by that enchanted tome and had been drawn to take it that day on Knockturn Alley. But he had always wondered why…and today he'd finally exhausted everything short of writing in it to discover the reason.

Desperation had driven him to using his sight to see what magics had been placed on it trying to find some clue about the man trapped inside of it. What he had seen had only added fuel to his desire to know and brought more questions then answers. The dairy was connected to him somehow he'd seen it there was something inside of him that linked the object to him in ways Harry had never heard of.

There was no avoiding it now there was only one way his questions would be answered Harry would have to risk enchantment and write in the book. However, he'd learned his lesson with the last cursed book he'd tangled with Harry wasn't about to go in unprepared. And he already had an idea on how to do it.

Sighing as his potion took effect and the grinding pain in his head died out into an ignorable ache Harry got up to get ready for the day. The last three years had been spent wisely on his part, cultivating allies, learning everything that he could and mastering his skills.

No one was as dedicated to learning as Harry was even in this prodigal school, spending hours in the extensive library, taking extra classes, learning as many languages as possible, and excelling in everything he put his mind to. In fact he become somewhat notorious around the school for going beyond many of his already powerful peers in terms of knowledge and skill.

Harry stepped up to his bookshelf to take down an apple wood box and sat on his bed to open it. His first Christmas Gabriel had given him an egg at the time Harry had no idea what it had been for as it had been clear crystal blue and had nothing inside of it as far as he could see.

However, when Gabriel had returned with the rest from his holiday he'd taken him aside and explained what in fact he'd given him. The Vixi were strange little creatures they laid their eggs at the bottom of enchanted lakes and they weren't able to even hatch until someone fed it enough magic to trigger its growth.

The Vixi looked like fairies really, small human bodies with dragonfly wings but the one blaring difference between them was their intelligence. Where fairies were dumb as a doorknob Vixi were extremely cunning little creatures and made for great pets. Gabriel had given him this egg that first Christmas and in a few days it'd finally be able to hatch.

Vixi eggs were rare and very hard to get a hold of if you weren't a water elemental that is. Harry placed his hand over the glowing egg and wondered briefly if the little thing would be a boy or a girl. Secretly he hoped for a girl so he could name her Tinker bell just like in his favorite story when he was young.

All in all the Vixi would be very valuable because he had fed it nothing but his own Magic it would be extremely loyal to him alone. The little things were dead useful like all magical creatures it had special properties that made it priceless in his opinion. For one it could flame travel like Phoenixes, they also had the healing tears though not as potent but damn close.

They helped restore your energy if you needed because they sucked up any excess magic like little batteries. Not only that but the eggshell he could use for one of his potion ideas that he was tinkering with. After making sure he'd fed the egg more then enough magic he set out to get ready for the day.

Brushing his longish hair, placing his in his multiple earrings besides Suzie's which he never took off as he promised, then his uniform and arm bracers under that to cover his scars. Idly he anticipated Fourth year when they were allowed to wear what they wished uniforms where just for the lower years after all.

After third year they just had to wear a coat to signify what year they were in and those were much more appealing then the dreary gray. For fourth years they had a nice tailored brown coat, fifth got tan, Sixth got emerald, Seventh got silver, eighth got deep blue, ninth got a blood red, and Tenth got to pick their color though it had to have a gold trim.

The coat itself never changed its cut only color, it was a fitted battalion type jacket that cut off at the hips and had a long spilt tail that reached your ankles. It had three rows of buttons that were silver; a high stiff collar and it gave its wearer a dignified look.

Looking at the diary once more Harry couldn't help but think that it was going to be a long year.

--x--

Albus Dumbledore was not having a good year, not at all, and it hadn't even started yet! The owls that they had sent out with young Harry's letter had all remained unanswered and some owls didn't even make it back! The ones that did were confused and dazed making them useless for the time being.

Really he was getting desperate, Lilly and James had been hounding him all summer to bring them Harry they just didn't stop. Then there was Minerva who kept snidely reminding him she hadn't wanted Harry left there in the first place and that he should have been with his family from the start!

It was enough to give him a splitting headache and downing lemon drops by the dozen. He hated to admit it but Albus was getting desperate if he didn't answer soon he would have to go look for the boy himself. An hour later that was exactly what he was doing as he could take one more minute of Lilly's rants on wanting her baby back, NOW!

He hated muggle suits they were so bland and constricting really but it was needed, as it was the middle of the day in a muggle neighborhood. Sighing he searched futilely for some distinguishable landmark to tell him which was number four they all looked exactly the same really, right down to the last blade of grass! It was getting ridiculous.

After what seemed like hours he found number four only to have the sinking feeling he had lately deepen as he saw the for sale sign on the manicured lawn. A short round man that looked disturbingly like a beetle was hammering it into place and mumbling something he couldn't quite make out.

Though it did sound like, 'damn those annoying bastards' and 'saddling me with the haunted house…'. Albus cleared his throat to catch the man's attention making him spin around almost falling. The salesman looked at him with beady little black eyes before he gave a surprised yelp.

"Did you want to see the house sir?! It's really a steal! At a third of the regular price and a fine neighborhood, wonderful people really. Would you like a tour of the house?! It's no trouble no trouble at all!" He rambled on not letting Albus speak a word as he tried to usher him into the house.

"I'm sorry I haven't come to look at the house I was looking for a few acquaintances that lived here. Would you be so kind as to tell me when they moved?"

The beetle man suddenly looked very pale and somewhat frightened. "Oh, terribly sorry about that mate. But don't you know?" The realtor looked at Albus in disbelief as if he had grown a second head or preformed magic right in front of him.

"Know what? If I may ask?"

"The family that lived here didn't move…" he trailed off ominously like he really didn't want to be the one to tell him.

"Then where are they?" Albus asked pleasantly but his insides were twisting in foreboding.

"They were killed…about six years ago. They're in the ground now sorry about being the one to tell ya mate."

The color drained from his face and Dumbledore felt like he was going to pass out in horror of what he just heard. Getting himself together he forcibly scanned the man's mind looking for answers to the questions he had. There, he sighed in relief, only one child was found Harry might still be alive yet.

There was so much to do and so little time. He needed to search the orphanages, gather clues on who had killed the Dursleys, and the most daunting if all… find a way to tell Lilly. He rushed out of the house leaving the man dazed and crumpled on the floor. Simply too much to do and not enough time.

Albus was sure though he would find Harry Potter and he would defeat this evil that he knew was coming after all it was all for the greater good.

--x--

Harry muttered the incantations carefully as he watched the pool of molten metal swirl and stir with his words glowing with his power. Runes began to take shape in the silvery liquid shining the deep emerald green that was his magic before vanishing in the molten metal once more.

A few more words and the liquid rose into the air a swirling, floating, twisting to take the form he wanted. First it formed a straight line before it curled in on itself forming a ring the size of his wrist. Harry hummed the last few lines his magic taking its direction from that and condensing down to for a tight ring.

The ring would just fit his thumb and with one last sung word it illuminated his room before falling harmlessly into his hand. This was not the first time Harry had tried his hand at making a talisman but it was the first time he was sure he had succeeded in doing what he had set out to do.

Sighing he tiredly slipped the ring onto his right hand thumb before he let himself fall back onto his bed in relief. It had taken many goes but he had done it. The ring would be worth the effort in the end, pure platinum had been hard to find but with a little help from Morgan he had found a secret vane of it just a two hours walk from the palace.

With it Harry would be able to write in the dairy without fearing the consequences, it also would shield him from the hottest flames (something very useful when you're friends with a fire elemental) and would block lower level curses coming his way. It was not without its drawbacks though; the most obvious one being it took a lot of magic to create, and a lot of time.

However, Harry had always been a slave to his curiosity now was no different and he would finally be able to sate this particular one. He wouldn't be able to cast another spell for an hour but it was well worth the trouble of feeling weak if this worked.

He got the book and a quill quickly somewhat eager to see this mystery solved. Harry paused his quill a hair breath away from the open page suddenly nervous, what should he say? Harry had never been good at meeting new people, in fact most of his allies had introduced themselves besides Cleo but she was different.

Rather anxious he decided it was best to be blunt and barrel through his unease to rid himself of it.

_Hello my name is Tristen. How did you come to be trapped inside a dairy?_

_Hello Tristen my names Tom Riddle and I'm not trapped I'm a memory._

_A memory?_

_Yes, I put myself here my sixth year at school. _

_Did you attend Hogwarts then? Or somewhere else?_

_Hogwarts! Of course it is the best school around after all. Are you at Hogwarts now?_

_No, I've never attended Hogwarts and don't ever plan to it's not up my standards. _

_How old are you? What is up to your standards then?_

_I'm eleven. My current school is adequate for now but I plan to learn more on my own. _

_What school do you attend?_

_I don't think you've ever heard of it if you went to Hogwarts it's likely you weren't up to our standards after all. Only the best are chosen to attend Noctiluca after all. _

_I beg to differ how can you be the best if you're obviously a new school, Hogwarts is the most ancient prestigious school in the world. _

_Noctiluca isn't new its older then Hogwarts in fact. Didn't you know?_

_How can I know of a school I've never heard of?_

_Right, but where did you think the founders learned it all? Did you think they taught themselves? (Harry smirked at that)_

_The founders went to your school?_

_Of course as I've said we only accept the best. Unlike Hogwarts we're a private school not just ANYONE can get in after all Hogwarts doesn't have many standards they after all allow MUGGLES to know about them!_

_You don't like muggles?_

_Who would? I've made it a point in life to find some way to rid the world of them, filthy creatures that they are!_

_Are you a pure blood then?_

_No, unfortunately I'm a Half blood…_

_I am also though I share your hatred of the filthy creatures. _

_What did they do to you?_

_Who said they did anything to me?_

_The hatred had to come from somewhere; I know I hate them for what they've done. (Harry couldn't seem to stop from writing about himself…though he reasoned no one would ever know after all it was just a dairy with a memory. Right?)_

_What have they done to you?_

_Nothing you need to be concerned about. _

_I suppose. _

_What happened to your magical family?_

_They were dead before I was even a day old._

_At least yours are dead I still have to kill mine. _

_What? Why would you want to?_

_They abandoned me…they left me with my dirty muggle relatives who didn't want a freak in their house…I had thought they were dead but I found out I was wrong they are very much alive. _

_Why did they leave you with them?_

_I don't know probably something foolish like the war._

_What war?_

_The war with Voldemort…though by then it was 'over' they should have retrieved me so that's no excuse. _

_Who won?_

_No one, Voldemort disappeared, some say he's dead I know better you don't get as powerful as that to just die by the hand of a child._

_Child?_

_Yes some foolishness about Harry potter the Boy-Who-Lived. Voldemort was said to have gone after him cast the killing curse that somehow the baby survived killing him instead. I think that's a load of rubbish though I'm sure he's out their waiting for them to relax so that he can take them down all the easier. _

_Why do you have such confidence in him?_

_I don't. Voldemort was very powerful he had to have had a plan and he wasn't known for rushing into anything where it could lead to his demise. He was clever and manipulative it stands to reason that he could manipulate something like that for his own ends. Not that it matters, I'll be greater then him one day…be greater then them all… _

_How do you think to manage that? _

_I've already started to gather allies and made a reputation for myself at school. I'm powerful, not that I'm cocky, I just know how strong I am after all one has to know all ones strengths to know what ones weaknesses are. One day I'll reshape this world and purge it of all it filth. It's all about patience really and maybe I'll join Voldemort should he ever return. _

_You want to join him?_

_Everything is a means to an end Voldemort will serve his purpose after all I have no desire to rule this world just remake it. My goals are similar to his in many ways after all but then again we have some differences. _

_How are your goals different?_

_Muggle-borns for one; I don't think they should be killed we hardly have any magical people as it is why limit ourselves more. We should just take the ones that show magical ability from the parents and give them to more deserving magical ones. Power is power after all that is what matters. Besides once we wipe out most of the muggle trash they wont be such a problem. _

_Most of the Muggles, why not all?_

_Because the vampires need their food and they would serve a purpose after all just as house-elves do. _

_How do you purpose to rid the world of MOST of the muggles then, send in the giants? _

_Not so foolish really until the tide is tipped we still need to work against exposure. Why not just turn them on each other first? Start suspicions, muggles are so quick to turn on each other after all, make them resort to warfare that doesn't affect us by taking out their bombs. They'll kill each other and when they've weakened enough we can start picking them off from the shadows they'll never even know we're there until it's too late!_

_Brilliant I admit but something like isn't easy to achieve. _

_Nor anything worthwhile ever easy. After all where is the fun if there isn't a challenge?_

_True. _

_Sorry Tom, I must be going I have class in the morning I'll speak with you later. _

Harry was greatly disturbed with himself he just couldn't understand what had come over him when he wrote. He knew it wasn't the diary he had taken the steps to insure that he wouldn't fall to its enchantments so it must be something else entirely. This was an utter first for him he never before opened himself up so freely before.

Growing up Harry had been meticulous in keeping himself distant from everyone and everything around him. It showed in everything he did, his careful avoidance of another touch, his past he never even eluded to anyone and how he never let anyone close to him.

No one could truly say they knew who he was and how he thought he was his own council relying on no one. Sure there were people who knew some things and people who he allowed to guide him in his learning…never though had he been so open about his plans.

Morgan knew he was accomplished and sought revenge she knew nothing of the details. Suzie knew his quirks and how he reacted to certain things she didn't know him though not truly. Grace, his snake, he enjoyed his verbal sparring with her and her fierce loyalty. No one else had ever come as close as these three to knowing him…the true him.

And no one was ever supposed to see him as he truly was that was something he'd been so cautious in protecting. However, this diary…this Tom…he felt such a deep and strange connection with him it frightened him to some extent. But he had to admit it had been uniquely liberating to finally voice some of his ideas on what the future held for him.

Before he had been suck in a sea of people surrounded but alone in this vast nothingness that he'd grown accustomed to. He had grown alone, he kept his thoughts to himself and his plans were never openly discussed with anyone. It was sound advice for someone like him to live and remain alone in his existence.

But it didn't work well for him he realized, Harry had tried all his life to rid himself of his meaningless emotions never succeeding in shedding that weakness. Now here was just one more piece of evidence to that fact, he was lonely, after a lifetime spent alone one would think he had moved past that.

It didn't seem so, his loneliness still haunted him and this sweet darkness was his only comfort in this pain of being forever alone. The darkness was his friend, when he had been younger he had whispered to it and Harry believed that his love of dark things that made him excel in anything dealing with the Dark Arts.

It didn't seem though now, that the darkness was enough Harry wanted someone who could match him in intelligence and strength…someone worthy of his trust. And gods…he was lonely. Perhaps that is why he had poured himself a little into that diary and conversed with that memory of someone.

Nonetheless a memory of someone was just that a MEMORY Tom could never be real for him, never be someone whom he could call a friend. But since he refused to allow himself such weakness around anyone living maybe it wasn't so bad to keep talking with his shadow of a person.

Maybe he was just being foolish once again but Harry decided he would allow himself to be revealed to Tom only to Tom for he wasn't real anyways. The relief he had felt to say everything that he had bottled up had been far to delicious to throw away because he felt exposed to this shadow man. Tom was not real and Harry would let himself be with him if no one else.

With that in mind Harry laid down to get some rest tomorrow, he felt, would be a long day.

--x--

James held his wife as she wailed and rocked with her in his arms. They had trusted Albus they had put their faith in him and now he comes to them to say Harry has disappeared! Their baby boy could be anywhere sure they had followed Albus' advice last time to keep him safe but it was different now.

Harry was supposed to be with them now, live with them and grow with his brother not just disappear from the face of the earth! James glared at Albus who sat dejectedly behind his desk watching Lily have her break down with sorrowful eyes and James almost snarled at him.

All this was his fault if he'd just let them have Harry from the beginning they wouldn't be here now grieving for their lost son and wondering where he was. Albus turned away from the sight of the broken parents a little uncomfortable with this, after all it wasn't supposed to be this way it wasn't a part of his plans.

There was one thing he had yet to try and he was wary to ask it of Fawkes, phoenixes were rather proud animals after all. Heaving a great sigh he resigned himself and spent the next hour trying to convince his familiar to carry the acceptance letter to Harry in hopes that where the owls had failed Fawkes would not.

Eventually he had succeeded in persuading him but by then he was just so glad it was finally over with he didn't even notice when Fawkes flamed away.

--x--

Harry stared, the phoenix stared back neither blinking nor daring to move as they stared each other down. "I'm not taking it." He said once again to the stubborn bird that refused to leave until he retrieved the letter from its leg. Harry swore he saw it narrow it eyes into a glare before stretching out its leg once again in his direction demanding he retrieve the thick acceptance letter for its leg.

They'd been this way for the last hour ever since Harry awoke from the burst of flame that signaled this annoyance's arrival. It had blocked his door and kept him from leaving he was already late for his class so he'd resigned himself to missing the day. Not that he was going to give into this thing…ever after all for all he knew to letter could be cursed or have some sort of compulsion web on it.

The phoenix screeched with impatience and didn't stop until Harry took the letter from it (making sure to use the hand with the his enchanted ring on it just in case). Afterwards Harry wished he hadn't the damn thing looked so smug…but it didn't leave. Sighing in frustration Harry decided it was best to get this whole thing over with fast and be done with it.

Taking the time to actually see what the hell was in his hand Harry sneered at it realizing it was for Hogwarts, how utterly predictable. He was eleven after all now and they expected him to go to that pathetic school, well he'd put an end to that now. Taking a quill and some paper he wrote his quick response: _To whom it may concern I, Harry James Potter, have no intention of ever attending one Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I would extend my thanks for the thought but will have to decline on the fact that I'm already enrolled in a satisfactory school. Sincerely yours, __Harry James Potter. _

Sealing it Harry tied it back onto the indignant bird's leg and it finally flamed away leaving him to his peace finally. Just as he was about to leave for the day to join his classmates it felt a familiar tug that called to his magic. Startled he made his way quickly to the apple wood box placing it on the bed and opening its lid to watch this new tool is born.

The light that had filled up the previously clear blue egg was very bright now and when he looked closely he could see the hairline fractures already forming on its surface. There was a _SNAP_ and a _CRACK_ as the eggshell started to break apart Harry waited eager to see his newest companion.

The sound of shattering glass was heard and Harry could finally see his Vixi emerge from her cocoon to join the world for the first time. She was still small only about two inches tall a baby by all rights still, her hair was a short spiky sky blue and her wings were curved transparent like a dragonfly's.

He could see the two thicker spikes that fell on her face that twitched every so often, these were her antennas but they were disguised well blending in with her hair. Her tiny ears were pointed and she looked about four years old in human development.

Harry smiled faintly looking at her, "Hey there, Tinkerbell, finally decide it was time to come out?" The Vixi blinked for a moment opening her eyes for the first time to look up at him, they were a deep blue and shone with adoration when they landed on him.

She made a jingle that sounded suspiciously like the tinkling of a small bell before she flew up from the eggshell to attach herself to his noise. He almost went cross-eyed trying to look at her, sighing he noticed she was still naked from her birth and he needed to dress her.

He held out his hand and said, "Come here Tink I need to get you dressed." She seemed happy to obey him and immediately landed on his hand waiting for more orders. His faint smile remained as he conjured clothes onto her; she got a strapless green dress that cut off just below her knees and a pair of green slippers with white puffballs atop them. In all he gave her almost the exact same outfit as the Tinkerbell he'd seen in the book.

Harry couldn't help but feel some childish smugness to think he'd gotten himself a better Tinkerbell then Peter had…even if they were both fictional! She was going to be prefect he'd see to that. Right now though she seemed tired so he put her inside the breast pocket of his robes before turning to collect the remains of the egg.

The rest of the day past quickly but Harry stayed in his room, the letter from Hogwarts had affected him more then he thought it would. His parents, they had left him there with those filthy muggles and they wanted him to go to this Hogwarts. He wouldn't ever go there, not to learn anyway maybe one day he would go but to burn it to the ground.

That night his nightmares came back, things he wished to forget but never could came back to haunt him there.

_**(Dream)**_

_**Harry huddled in the corner of the cupboard frightened; he'd been bad today he'd made a noise when that woman from Aunt's book club had come. He knew he would be punished by Uncle when he got home he was a freak he wasn't supposed to make noise not supposed to exist.**_

_**He refused to cry though it would only make him happy to see his pain, no he would never cry for them. Suddenly the door opened and a meaty fist grabbed him by the throat tossing him across the room. He slammed into the wall of the kitchen and felt one of his ribs break. **_

"_**You FREAK, what have we told you about making noise!" Harry just stared glassy eyed at his tormentor knowing that to speak would just make his punishment worse. He forced himself not to curl into the fetal position as the kicks came. WHACK, CRACK, his arm broke as his Uncle stomped down cackling madly. **_

_**The laughter was something he would never forget, how he hated to hear someone laugh. Pain soon took over his thoughts as Vernon lifted him up by his throat tossing him down the flight of steps to the basement below. Then the real freezing fear came, no not again, was all he could think as Vernon kicked him viciously across the floor. **_

_**Harry knew what he was expected to do but he'd die before he did so willingly. Tallying up the injuries so far Harry thought briefly that maybe this time he'd finally die, his arm, wrist, the fingers in his left hand, five ribs, his left ankle and right foot all broken. **_

_**He could feel the sticky flow of blood where the back of his head had hit the floor and his stomach gave a larch when he saw Vernon go for his 'tool box'. He hadn't eaten in a few days so he could only dry heave when Vernon's foot connected with a sickening thud as he tried to get up. **_

"_**Strip down boy, fast if you know what's good for you!" He screamed as he advanced on him with the iron rod this time, and Harry felt so dirty when he complied knowing not doing so would mean something far worse. CRACK the iron met his back as he kneeled on the floor, naked, biting his lip so hard he drew blood to keep himself silent. **_

_**The beating lasted for another hour before Vernon left him there broken, bleeding, naked lying on the floor feeling as worthless as they had told him he was. Harry mind though wasn't on the pain, no it was on the things Vernon had said during the beating that had frightened him to the core. **_

_**He had said he was almost 'old enough' to 'pay them back' for everything he'd racked up in 'dept' for living here. He was only five but something about those words, the way he had leered at his broken bleeding naked form as he had left made Harry more afraid then he'd ever been. **_

He woke up screaming in the middle of the night, thanking his foresight in putting more silencing charms on his room then protection wards. Though he never voiced his pain out loud in real life these dreams always seemed to break through his barriers and tear those screams from him. His throat felt raw and his eyes remained haunted as he pushed all thoughts of the 'before' to the dark recesses of his mind.

It was over now, he had killed them and they could never send him back there now. He was safe here; _he_ was dead and couldn't hurt him anymore. Sighing Harry forced his face back into its serene blank expression that it usually bore not the twisted scared one of his nightmares.

Silently he noted Tink was awake and staring at him looking very frightened/worried. Grace was curled around his right arm used to his bouts of fits from their three years together but still trying to comfort him. "It is alright Tink I am fine." He stated picking her up to place her atop his head as he got himself up knowing he wouldn't sleep any more tonight.

Looking at his blank walls he decided this would be his new project, taking out his various art supplies Harry got to work painting a forest on his bedroom walls. It would take him a while to finish but Harry prided himself on his patience he was very good a waiting.

--x--

Albus was panicking, Harry had responded just not the way he had expected. He had declined his offer for schooling at Hogwarts, James was still mimicking a fish in his shock and Lily had stopped crying for the moment. "WHERE THE HELL IS HE OLD MAN!!" James shouted at the end of his rope.

"I don't know…" Dumbledore had long since lost the twinkle in his eyes the note from Harry still lain crumpled in his hands.

--x--

Harry looked around the common room in the dorm for a moment gazing out at the allies he knew everything about and he could tell they trusted him. Each had been hard in their own way to win over to this degree but he had done it they hid nothing from him now.

He knew their weaknesses, he knew their strength and he had their loyalty something he prized above everything. It was their loyalty that would bring him far, not their unending awe of his power, or their fear of his temper. They had all only seen him angry once and it was enough to shock them to the core and they would never forget it.

In their second year a group of girls had cornered Ophelia and had torn into her for some foolishness about a boy. When Harry had come across them with the others after they had gone to search for her what he had done still shook them to remember. His normally stoically calm face had twisted into a terribly angry scowl, he had thrown the whole group across the room and had started to curse them hissing parseltongue.

If a teacher hadn't come along they probably would have died, and to the surprise of them all, the Headmistress had suck by Tristen and he hadn't been expelled. Needless to say from that day on no one had dared so much as look at them funny it was all quite empowering actually.

As Harry sat there in his usual comfy armchair, sketchbook in his lap, he studied each of them analyzing them looking for anything that could be troubling them. The twins were perhaps his most loyal allies and he hadn't figured out why until they had confessed to it accidentally.

For them growing up with a mirror image had been hard, identical to the core it was hard for them to define themselves as an individual. Even their own mother couldn't tell them apart, so they had created there own little world where only they knew whom was who and only they mattered.

They had even started a game of it never letting anyone play with them unless they could correctly guess who was Flora and who was Fauna. It had worked well, still worked well, but now they had another in their world. Harry could see them, he never messed up and called them by the wrong name and he always saw the person inside. It was that which had insured their undying loyalty and love, really it all seemed so foolish to him not that it mattered once he had gotten it.

Cleo and Ophelia had both been bullied his 'saving' of them had just insured that they wanted to do anything to please him; he was their 'savior' after all. Really it was more that he hated seeing anyone be bullied it made him uncomfortable and brought up discerning memories so he put a stop to it.

The boys were a little harder to win over but not by much. Alex was won when he had offered himself as replacement to his cold meals, easy enough and appreciated enough in his society that he had gained their gratitude. Logan was another one that was somewhat easy all it took was showing no fear when he had transformed into his wolf that had done that. His beast was grand though, pure white and powerful it was defiantly a canine to the core however.

All it had taken to tame it was a good scratch behind the ears and showing no signs of anxiety. Gabriel was one of the hardest; he was quiet and shy like him almost just with a weaker will. It had taken hours of dedicated time studying with him and helping him to improve his self-esteem to gain his trust.

After that it had been easier to secure his loyalty Gabriel just needed someone to actually listen to him for that to happen and Harry was an excellent listener. Leon he was still unsure about, he had gained his trust and his friendship Harry just wasn't sure he'd gained his loyalty. He would work hard on him to get that, it was only a matter of time to be sure.

Just then Cleo decided to sit on the floor by his feet careful not to touch him though knowing how uncomfortable it made him feel. "Tristen, what are you doing?" she asked curious to what he was doing with the notebook in his lap. Harry turned his calculating eyes to her for a brief moment before returning to his page.

"You know how Voldemort had marked all his followers with his sign?"

"Yes?"

"It got me thinking of making a sign of my own." He said quietly attention still fixed on his page not noticing he'd gained the entire rooms attention. It wasn't often Harry spoke so freely with them and so they listened when he deemed it right to speak.

"What are you doing that for?" The twins asked simultaneously.

Harry was too focused on his work to really pay attention to what he was answering; he was reaching a breakthrough in his work after all. "I wanted to make a mark that would protect the barer, if my research and calculation are correct that is this would be very beneficial. It would tie the wearer to me, letting me know it they are hurt, it has some minor healing abilities, should be able to summon them through any wards and other things…almost done."

They looked at him wide-eyed they knew Harry was a prodigy from the start, everything they had struggled with he just seemed to grasp so easily. But this was a whole other level, what he was talking about was such a combination of knowledge and power it was really astonishing. To be able to do what he was talking of would take most grown wizards years to grasp the basic theory of and that was with the healing ability alone.

Cleo, however, just heard the part about binding the barer to him and tuned the rest out. "Tristen, may I take your mark?" Harry turned to her surprised for a moment causing him to pause; he hadn't thought that they'd ever ask for his mark more like he would eventually offer it. "Sure Cleo once I'm finished I'll give one to you."

The twins quickly said together, "US TOO!!"

"Me also," Ophelia said firmly leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, I want one as well." Gabriel said in his usual soft willowy tones.

"Don't forget about me, I want a mark too," Logan said heatedly.

Alex looked contemplative for a moment before nodding, "Me as well."

Leon stared at them all for a moment before focusing on Tristen sizing him up for a moment before coming to a decision, "Yes it seems I would like one as well."

Harry for his part was left speechless, it seemed he had more of their loyalty and adoration then he had thought. He smirked inwardly at the thought things were going much faster and easier then planned. Expression still firmly in his blank tranquil mask Harry replied easily, "As you wish" in a quiet breathy way that left them all insanely happy.

They all wished to be closer to him, some more desperately then others but Harry had refused to open up to them. He listen to them, he saw they were all happy, and that they never fell behind the others in anything. They just wished that they could be the same for him; Harry was their rock, and the glue that kept them together.

Mostly they were eager to get his mark as a sort of proof that they indeed mattered to him and that they were his friends. Harry for his part was just pleased that they seemed so fervent to tie their lives to him. Harry shifted and stood ready to retire to his room for the night his mark was almost finished he just needed to add one more thing.

Everyone parted for him not wishing to do something as foolish as touching him and upset him when he seemed like he was in such a good mood. Harry sat on his bed, back pressed against the headboard, letting his mind wander in contemplation before he went back to work.

One legs stretched out before him the other drawn up to his chest to rest his arm against Harry let himself think of his 'family' the sneer that graced his face refused to be repressed. From what little he had learned of himself on Daigonalley he knew one thing for sure, he expected him to be their savior.

This world wished for a martyr someone who they could USE as a symbol, a puppet to their whims and fantasies. That was not something Harry or Tristen would ever let happen. He smirked, looking at his outstretched hand and imagined strings there with snapped lines.

Their puppet had escaped them and become a puppet master it seemed. If Harry could laugh he would have in the irony of it all but he hated laughter so he held himself back. He smiled viciously instead, it was fitting that it was their blind faith in that savior that they had created that would let him manipulate them in the end.

He spotted the dairy and gave into the urge to write in it, the day had been to long it seemed and he needed the relief.

_Hello again Tom. _

_Hello Tristen how was your day?_

_Long, I didn't even get to classes got trapped in my room by a bloody phoenix. _

_What? _

_They could reach me by owl it seemed to invite me to Hogwarts so they sent a phoenix…overkill if you ask me. _

_Yes, well what did you reply?_

_I told them I had no intention of ever joining their backwater school. _

_Need I remind you that I went to that 'backwater school'. _

_Yes well obviously you were meant for greater they just got to you first._

_How do you figure that?_

_The idiots they produce couldn't have created this journal in their sixth year! Not with the way they teach you obviously were a cut above the rest and they wanted to keep you…probably kept Seline (the Headmistress) from contacting you. I wouldn't be too surprised if that were the case; Dumbledore is a manipulative old bat from what I gather. _

_Yes, he never let me out of his sight it was truly aggravating at the time. _

_I imagine it would be; they don't even study the dark arts I'm told…so much for a rounded education. _

_And you study it at Noctiluca? _

_Of course we study all forms of magic nothing is kept from us. If I were inclined to I could choose whatever I wanted to study and leave the rest out. They offer a wide range of classes here, light, dark it doesn't matter if it deals with magic you're sure to a least find a book on it here. _

_That's enlightening; tell what else does this school of yours offer?_

_Noctiluca graduates tend to keep to the shadows so they have all kinds of classes on politics, and the arts. Most find it very easy to be entertainers so as not to raise suspicions, a lot are in the different ministries but most just choose to travel the world to expand their knowledge. I plan to change that though it is time that the magical world acknowledged their betters. _

_I see, so why the arts? Why not just politics?_

_Tongues are looser around performers and suspicions are lower. Most think that entertainers are weak; they let their guard down. Everyone learns to cast by singings or through music we'd be devastating in a war because we can cast whole armies under a spell before they even realize we are at it._

_It sounds like your schools planning to take over the world with all the spies and what not._

_No, no I think we are waiting not planning._

_Waiting for what?_

_Waiting for the right time or maybe the right cause to throw our lot in with. Noctiluca students learn to depend on each other sure there are some who are rotten but most will stand behind you. I gain valuable allies here, and there are some who I know would die for me. _

_How so?_

_Like some, I know the best way to rule is to attack the heart but unlike most I don't go for fear/awe I do it for loyalty. If they love me they will die for me so I handle them with care at first learn what makes them tick and use that to make them devoted to me. _

_Why would you want their devotion?_

_Because I know that they would not b easily swayed from my side if they are devoted, if they crave my approval they will do just about anything to get it. I intend to change the world I am not idiotic enough to think I can achieve this alone. Even if they are just puppets they all serve their purposes and do so eagerly._

_Surely you don't expect to be able to gain an army with your approach it would take to much time. _

_I never waste anything especially my time; no quality over quantity in this after all one good soldier can take on ten idiotic ones. I only ever approach ones who will be an asset to me that can become strong and show that they could prove their worth nothing below that is acceptable._

_So do you intend to conquer the world then Tristen, to become the cause your school will stand up for?_

_Perhaps, or perhaps I too am waiting. This conversation has come to an end I don't have much time tonight. _

_As you wish, goodnight Tristen. _

_Goodnight Tom, perhaps next time you will tell me of yourself and not try to manipulate me into revealing just myself. _

_Perhaps… _

Harry smiled a little at that, he could get used to this it felt as if a weight had been lifted from him once again. He began to think maybe all he needed to keep those pesky emotions in check was a good rant to Tom, not that it mattered it was going to be a long year he could feel it.

--x--

The next few days were blessedly ordinary no birds blocking his escape from his room, no hatchlings, no new troubles to address and yet Harry couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding. Today was no different and the feeling just increased as the day wore on and he didn't like it one bit.

At lunch the Headmistress came to their table and Harry knew the feeling was just about to come to a head. Surprisingly it wasn't he who she came to see it was Leon and that didn't bode well at all for Harry. Leon was the only one he wasn't sure of and this time could be the day he gained his loyalty or lost his trust.

With that in mind Harry followed them as they left the school grounds and headed to the beach shore, it didn't look good. As a fire elemental Leon had a good grasp on his more extreme emotions because fire was a part of them should he lose that control whole cities could burn to the ground.

Fire wasn't an element meant to be controlled by anything or anyone, ever, so fire elementals were always on a precarious perch in life. Should they ever loose himself to his flame he could burn to brightly, burn to fast and he would die. If the Headmistress deemed Leon at risk of losing himself to take him this far from the school whatever she was going to say would be a hard blow.

She faced him, face grim and magic discretely at ready if she needed to retreat in a hurry should he explode. "Leon, I have some terrible news, your eldest brother Michael has been killed."

"W-what…how…why?" he just looked lost for a moment, "Wait KILLED! Someone MURDERERED my brother?"

"I'm afraid so, he got into a tussle with someone I was told and things got out of hand…"

"MY BROTHER is GONE and all you can say is THINGS GOT OUT OF HAND! HE'S DEAD THINGS BLOODY WELL GOT WAY OUT OF HAND!" The flames started to dance around him, his arms caught first and Seline had already got herself a safe distance away before he gave an anguished angry cry.

Falling to his knees he screamed and his whole body turned into a bright blue flame it looked as it he was made of flames and a pillar of fire rose up from him at his call.

Harry for his part stood frozen hidden behind the tree line watching the display of sheer power going on before him, but a grief-stricken sob drew him back. His brow creased lightly, Harry knew everything about his allies and knew what this could mean for Leon. If he didn't get himself together he could lose control completely and die from his grief.

It only took a moment for him to decide, Leon was to valuable to throw away especially after this display of power. He sent Tink to his room with Grace before powering up his enchanted ring and it glowed a deep emerald green as he cautiously approached the flames.

The sand beneath him had long since turned to shattered glass that cracked with every step he took cutting into his feet and slowing his progress. The heat didn't reach him but the fierce swirling air from it pushed him back it took longer to reach Leon's huddled form then he had anticipated.

By then his feet were like shredded meat and Leon was too far-gone to bring back with simple words. Harry hesitated in the end, a fear consumed him and he couldn't bring himself to touch the crumpled grieving boy. He shook in fear, but he forced himself to kneel beside him not paying attention to the glass cutting into his legs.

Bile rose up in his throat, and he trembled beside him. Harry knew Leon needed contact to pull him back from the edge of despair but his skin crawled at the thought of being touched so intimately. Nevertheless he forced himself to do it and slowly his arms reached around the sobbing boy encircling him in a hug.

Harry couldn't stop himself from trembling but made sure he still offered the comfort Leon needed to get through this, "I will not lie to you, I can't understand your pain. And I don't know what it is you're going through, but I do know from what you have said of your brother that he would not want this for you. Come back Leon, live, if not for yourself then for him live for your brother since he can no longer live for himself!"

The flames slowly died, the fire shaped boy became human looking once more and soon just slow tears of mourning burn their trails down his aggrieved face. "Thank you…" he whispered taking comfort in Harry's arms. Harry held onto him for a while longer before the blood lose got to him and he fell onto Leon in a dead faint.

Leon only had a moment to react catching Tristen before he fell onto the awaiting ring of shattered glass made from his flames of grief. It was only when he was cradling him in his arms that Leon realized two important things. One: Tristen had shredded his legs when he had come to his rescue and Two: Tristen had HELD him, had touched him something he avoided at all costs.

Tristen didn't like to be touched, the most he ever did was in dance class or to grab your hand he never let anyone touch him more then absolutely necessary. Yet, he had done it for him, had offered him something he never gave freely and for that Leon was grateful. Leon also knew now that he would die for the boy in his arms if it ever came down to it, he owned Tristen his life and he intended to pay him back even if it took the rest of his life.

**AN: Next Chapter: Ecounters with the Boy-who-lived's brother and Suzie's first year at Hogwarts! I can't wait to write it if I get enough reviews that is! lol holding the next chapter hostage until I see some good reports on this story! lol I know...I suck!! P **


	5. Things get complicated

Harry stared t the bleach white walls of the infirmary in detest, he had awoken when they had tried to divest him of all his c

**A.N.: hello everyone! As always this chapter is not betaed so please don't look to closely at grammar errors and the like! Lol I acknowledge I'm not to good when it comes to those things! O.O; so anyway this story has gotten away from me it seems my fingers aren't listening to me! Lol anyway I hope you enjoy the story and I'm happy I got so many reviews! I guess I'll keep the next one hostage too! So review and I'll update! I hoping for a least fifty reviews lol! Ja Ne love ya guys hope you like my story! **

Harry stared at the bleach white walls of the infirmary in detest, he had awoken when they had tried to divest him of all his clothes to get to his injuries but thankfully he had stopped them in time. After a wise use of his silver tongue and an amazing display of power on his part Harry had convinced the healer to rid him of his pants and nothing more.

That was of course after he had gotten everyone else out of the room completely, it wouldn't do for anyone to see him this weak as it left him to open for attacks for his tastes. Growing up basically alone with constant threats of harm had given him an heightened sense of paranoia something he had no desire to rid himself of.

His paranoia had saved him a few times, Harry knew the most important lesson about life: in the end you're alone. Harry had surrounded himself with allies, 'friends' and pet companions for a reason after all. All the people or things that hung around him were his lines of defense, he knew Logan at least had turned away plenty of troublesome people who've tried to approach him.

Now though he was injured, he had shown a weakness to potential enemies and his defensive wall was more hindering than helping him in this state. It was after they had all left him alone finally that Harry had faced the healer, a young looking woman (never can tell when it comes to magical people) with blonde hair and a stern mouth.

It had very uncomfortable striping from the waist down because even with the current injuries drawing her attention he was sure as a trained healer she could see the numerous scars his legs he had. Truthfully Harry had been rightly amazed when she had fixed him up within minutes not leaving a single new scar.

They learned a lot in healing class but the removal of all those individual glass fragments alone was way above his level as of now. Not to mention the fact that to heal completely the torn tissue without even a trace of scared skin was something only the most experienced healer could achieve.

Closing cut were complicated because the injured flesh is immersed in it's own traces of instinctual healing magics that could react negatively to the healer. Then there was cleaning out the various infections that open wounds like his would have, sealing it was not easy either because if you didn't do it properly it could rupture on the inside bleeding you out.

All in all her handy work was impressive and the pain from before was just a dull numbness now as the nerves were regrown and tendons reattached. She was very experienced, and very professional throughout the entire thing something he had appreciated as he adhered when doctors sought to comfort.

Sighing he looked to the healer, Stephanie he believed, once more trying to decide if he should ask her or not. The old scars on his legs had remained untouched through the entire thing and he was curious to see what she could do to them. While Harry had already worked the past few years to fade them slightly with his various ointments they were still extremely noticeable if not a bit softer then before.

Shifting a bit in his cot he let a small barely noticeable scowl crinkle his forehead, it just wouldn't do the magics to heal his body were beyond him at this point. As much as he hated to even think it he knew if he wanted to rid himself, or at least fade his scars he would have to ask for her assistance.

The question was now, if he could or not. If he didn't ask for her help then he would have to wait a few more YEARS to gain the knowledge he needed to heal himself. Opposed to the few awkward minutes he would otherwise in asking for her to do it. Eventually he settled on a compromise, if she could heal the scars on his legs then he would ask her to tutor him in her art.

Medical magics had always had an appeal to him anyways with all it's untapped potential. Noting that she had returned to check up on him Harry saw his chance and took it. "Healer Stephanie, may I ask for some assistance?" she looked up startled for a moment, "Of course what is it? Are your legs troubling you!" She looked around in alarmed panic.

"No, I was wondering if you could tell me what can be done for the scars on my legs?" She looked at them then, brow furrowed in concentration as she trailed her fingers down them studying them with enough intensity to leave Harry shifting uncomfortable.

Not that she would need to look at them very much to make him unsettled normally anyone just glancing at his exposed skin was unnerving to him just not enough to make him give a visible reaction to it as he was doing now. "I think I'll be able to fade them a little, I can't vanish them completely I'm afraid the scared tissue has been left like that for too long now the skin would spilt open if I tired."

Harry nodded understanding, "Please do what you can." He hated having to ask for help it gave him a queasy feeling usually it was people asking him for help not the other way around. A few flicks of the wand made his thick rope like scars into thin silver marks that blended in with his skin.

It startled him for a little while as he ran his hands up and down his legs with no interference just smooth skin. He looked at his legs in wonder…he knew magic made a lot of impossible things possible but never had he thought he could almost rid himself of the disgusting symbol of muggle cruelty on his skin.

He had thought he could fade them, make them less like bulging bumps to slightly less ones and he realized he had been holding himself back a little. Magic was a very contradictory thing, it served but ruled, it did the impossible and limited you at the same time. Just like when Harry had thanked his own magic, something various religions had been doing for years, and gained magic's favor.

Belatedly he realized it was not so much that he thanked his magic than that he appreciated its role in his life and acknowledged that he owed it gratitude for the power he had. In fact he wasn't entirely sure if what he was now, thanks to that incident, was entirely 'human' because of various little things that he'd think over later.

The point was magic had so much potential, he had so much potential and he wasn't challenging himself enough he needed to devote himself more into his magic. Looking up he saw the Healer's eyeing him, "Do you think if I came on here sometimes you'd teach me some things?"

She looked startled again, something she seemed to be most of the time around him but nodded her assent. Two hours later he was sent back to classes with a clean bill of health. Leon was outside the door waiting for him though he didn't say anything just stood by him the rest of the day. He looked like he was still torn up about his brother, anyone who looked could see the devastating sadness in his eyes but it seemed like he had taken Harry's word's to heart.

His reaction had Harry thinking, Leon his previously wary ally was now without a doubt his most devoted follower. Harry thought about the possible factors that had led to this and reviewed the possibilities. It couldn't be because he had touched him as he had touched every member of his group in dance class, however that was much more distant professional touch.

It was with dread he realized he'd made this boy his most devoted because he had shared with him something that he hadn't done with anyone previously. Harry had opened himself up in those few moments in that hug, had done something he had detested for this boy and he returned that in kind with his complete loyalty.

It brought up something that he'd been thinking about since the formation of this group and made him very uncomfortable to say the least. When his identity was discovered, he wasn't deluded he knew it would come to light; he would need someone on his side to defend him. If it happened before he was of age he could be forced back into his despicable family line and he liked his freedom.

The truth of it was that 'technically' this school had 'kidnapped' him and as he had not been adopted by any means **father** and **mother** could lay claim to him. Harry had known from the beginning that he would have to expose this part of himself to them sometime he just didn't want to do it so soon.

But with this development with Leon he knew he needed to do it now while they were young and forgave him easier. Harry wasn't a fool if his identity was discovered while they were still in the dark they would view it as a betrayal something he did not want. He also realized he would need to introduce or hint at some of his future plans so he could have the time to convince them to see it his way.

Today had been far to long, he felt way to exposed at the moment with the dairy and now Leon he felt way to open to try it doing that now. He made it to his room and glanced at said book brow furrowed in concentration, something was not right with it.

He glanced at the enchanted ring he had made and back at the book, maybe it couldn't hold off ALL of the books enchantments. After all he talked so openly with this memory 'Tom' then he had with anyone or anything else…maybe the book had been spelled to force people to do that.

And as quickly as that thought had entered it left leaving him vaguely confused as to what he was thinking, oh yes, next week he would tell them about his real identity. It was time to stop hiding, at least around them but it could wait a little longer until Sunday.

The week was harder then most, Leon was having a hard time dealing with his brother's death and it caused a lot of tension within the group as a whole. Harry made sure he was always available to listen when Leon needed to talk but Harry didn't talk very much still feeling very exposed to the boy-who-he-hugged.

Sunday night rolled around and after a long day of intensive study with Morgan Harry was very nervous about going through with it. He paced his room flustered, unnerved, and slightly panicked about exposing even this to the group. Harry didn't trust anyone, people especially as they tended to betray you so easily.

However, it was entirely necessary that he knew Harry wasn't stupid he knew that potentially if all his plans even half succeeded he be a ruler of a lot of people. Leaders were characterized most blaringly by one/two things they were either well-loved barely ruling leading to corruption of their ranks or they ruled through fear.

Harry found both faulty, as both would not be wise for him; nevertheless, he realized it was better to be loved then hated. A leader who ruled with fear, and violence ruled well for a while before someone came along to 'save' everyone. Then again that kind, loving, caring leader bullocks didn't work for him either as he could never force himself to be so…soft.

There in lays his strategy, he would be loved but not loving. He needed them to like him, to love him even without being weak in return but in order to that he needed this one exposed moment to cement their caring for him. If he was loved, if they loved him they would not hesitate to die for him something he wanted…he wanted them to be that devoted to him.

Realizing he was going in circles again, he took a deep breath calmed himself and pulled his blank mask on before stepping out to head to the common room. Simon was there, surprisingly, he was he only one left that hadn't been fully inducted into his little group mostly because he had no idea how to approach him.

Simon was very introverted and didn't open up as easily as the others; truthfully sometimes Harry even forgot he was there. Maybe this would help to solidify his place in the group he could be trusted, Harry knew that much at least because of the elvish sense of unbreakable honor. Maybe that was how he would get him…his honor, since exposing a part of him had gotten Leon into his influence maybe the same would work for Simon.

Though that was something he'd think over later he didn't really like the idea of exposing himself to more people at the moment. They all stared at him intently wondering why he had called them here, as it was rare for Harry to exercise his authority so openly.

"I have something to tell you all…something I want you to know that MUST be kept secret no matter the circumstance…okay?" They nodded weakly as they had never heard Harry speak so severely before and they fought to hold down their joy at Harry finally opening up to them even just a little.

"I won't delay then, the truth of it all is that my name isn't Tristen Stillnight…its Harry Potter and I need your help." Their expressions were almost comical, almost everyone looked like a fish or chicken with their heads chopped off. The Twins spoke up first, "What do you need Tri-Harry?"

"First don't call me Harry in public I meant what I said when I told you this needs to be kept between us. As to what I need help with…it's complicated I need a guardian…I need to be adopted."

"But you're not an orphan…" Cleo said weakly as Harry gave her a cold look.

"I think she means to say why do you need one?" Ophelia said to redirect the question.

"Simple really I don't want my **parents** to have any legal pull over me…"he said with venom.

"Well, I don't know about a guardian but my parents know some Lawyers who could probably get you emancipated…" Simon volunteered trailing off at everyone's sudden appraisal. Then Harry graced them with something they hadn't ever seen from him, his blank emotionless face shifted and a hint of a small grateful smile adorned his face. (Inside Harry grimaced, he needed Simon to open up to him perhaps this was the only way.)

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath, Harry had always been beautiful but with that smile it was like looking at something not of this world, a god. They shot Simon jealous looks to whom the smile had been directed to, all resolved to do whatever it took to be graced with a smile like that.

"Thank you, I'd appreciate it very much."

"Harry you never answered the question…why do you want to leave your parents?" the twins said alternately.

"They abandoned me I don't want nor need them. I am trusting you with my identity and this task please do not disappoint me." They all nodded solemnly wanting more then anything to prove his trust in them was not a mistake. Everyone looked at one another a silent message passing between them as a hardened resolve shifted their expression to determination.

Harry watched them all silently, they had taken this better then he had expected and now only time would tell if this risk was worth it. He left them silently wanting very much to just relax, paint a little and then sleep it had been a long day.

--x--

To say Tom was frustrated was a dire understatement, by now he should have at least a little more power over this boy Tristen but all he managed to do was put a compulsion web on him. He wrote in the diary, got attached like he was supposed to but his plans stopped there.

Tristen, he was sure, had something stopping him from tapping into Tristen's magic thus gaining his body back by draining his life force. From what he had managed to gather from Tristen, somehow he had died or something of the like now it was time to use this dairy to come back. But he couldn't do that while something was stopping him from accessing Tristen's magic.

Truthfully he had a begrudging respect for the boy, he was powerful as powerful as he had been at his age maybe more so. Also his school fascinated him as he had never even heard of its existence, not surprising but it vexed him to no end. Then there were the disturbing similarities in their childhood; Tristen hadn't actually admitted to anything but he knew from experience what could have happened to him.

Tristen reminded him much to much of himself to not get interested on how he would turn out if he left him alone for the moment. It was inconvenient though that all he would talk of was his ambitions and not anything close to personal because Tom really wanted to figure this boy out.

His frustration was reaching another peak when he felt Tristen's mind turn suspicious of him once more, and he had to put more energy into that compulsion web once AGAIN. Really that boy was very paranoid, a good thing normally but not now when he continued to waste energy keeping him from questioning the dairy.

He growled there was nothing for it he would just have to wait and take the excess magic from the room to survive for now. That decided his thoughts turned to Tristen once again, really it was getting ridiculous how much that boy captivated him and then there was that disturbing pull he felt whenever he held the book.

It felt almost like something was calling to him but he was unable to answer the call as something was interfering. Not for the first time he wished he could actually SEE what Tristen looked like, learning what his magic felt like was doing him no good. He still didn't know how he was going to get out of answering Tristen's questions next time the magic it took just to keep him relaxed and open when he wrote was taxing as it is without adding that to the mix.

Well, maybe he could answer some things what harm could it do it's not like he was at Hogwarts and Tristen could figure out who he once was or was going to be. This split soul thing was getting confusing best just say who he is because he was Lord Voldemort just as Lord Voldemort was Tom Riddle.

_Hello. _

_Hello Tristen how was your day?_

_Good. How was yours?_

_Just as well in a book and all. _

_Yes, why did you put yourself in there anyways?_

_So something of me would always exist, simple really I don't fancy dying all that much. _

_Who does? There are plenty of other ways to go about not dying I'm sure. _

_Oh, such as?_

_I'm not sure but I'll have to research that. Not that I find it at all appealing. _

_Really and why is that? I assumed everyone wanted to live forever. _

_Yes I suppose so, but life is worth living because it is so fleeting…not that I plan on dying anytime soon I'll live long enough to obtain my goals not a moment more. _

_Shouldn't you live after that so that you can enjoy that fact?_

_Why? After you've reached all your dreams and you have none left what is left in life? _

_I couldn't answer that. _

_Well, I didn't expect you to…tell me Tom have you ever had a dream? A true dream one you wanted to become reality more then anything?_

_Yes…(he didn't elaborate disturbed with this openness)_

_I haven't…not truly…I know of nightmares, I know of unnamed longing, I know of a consuming hatred but I do not know of a true deeply desired wish. I have ambitions, not wishes or desires…and I don't want them. I can't see how such things could benefit me in the slightest._

_(Tom wanted to make him wish, make him want and was unsettled by the desire so he choose instead to remain silent.)_

_Tom, Who are you really? _

_I'm Tom Riddle no one else. _

_We'll see, Goodnight Tom. _

_Goodnight Tristen. _

--x--

The dream started off just like all the rest feverish and filled with confusion. He didn't know where he was or what was going on just those haunting crimson eyes. Then a blinding pain like nothing he'd felt before shot through him and he woke blood pooling in his mouth from biting his tongue to keep from screaming.

It was nothing new, these dreams, and the scarlet eyes taunting him, the cold numbness and the pain. Harry forced himself into wakefulness noticing it was barely four in the morning night still had its inky claws into the earth, he sighed. He needed to get up early anyways it would not due to have anyone see him in the showers and ask uncomfortable questions.

Once he was there, standing naked before the wide mirrors of the bathroom he couldn't stop himself from looking upon his shame, his mark, and his taint. His back was a network of knotted scars, silver in color that stood out even with his pale porcelain skin.

He faced the wall; back fully exposed to the unrelenting reflective surface and expression impassive as he stared from over his shoulder at his spider web of scars. His arms hugged himself as he fingered the thick protruding lines; the word was beyond his reach though the one that marked him for all to see. FREAK, it was still an emblazed red scar that stood out stark against the rest of him.

Yes, he was a freak even in this world he was abnormal. Things came too easily for him, magic flowed through him like water and complicated theories/concepts were like childish toys to him. It made him stand out even in this unusual world and he could never be just Harry.

Perhaps he didn't even want to be, after all it was better to be feared/revered then ignored at least then he felt he existed. His 'friends' wanted to know him, would do anything to do so and he found that he was disgusted by it. Why would they want to know him, he was tainted and he was a freak.

Not that it mattered he would never let them become close to him, ever, he wouldn't give anyone that power over him ever again. Every bond he formed with someone always, always ended in disappointment. When he was young he'd fancied a tentative bond with his 'dead' parents only to find them alive and happy without him.

Suzie was the last after that and even she left him no matter how loyal she left too. Everyone leaves him eventually, whether of his or her own violation or of his demand they all leave. He was alone, now and always he was alone. And somehow even though he knew he shouldn't, even though he thought it foolish, he wished for someone who wouldn't leave.

He had lied to Tom yesterday, he did have a wish, and a desire: it was to have someone who would never leave him alone again. But no matter if Tom was fictional or not he couldn't bring himself to admit that particular weakness to anyone but himself.

Harry had always made it a point to know his weaknesses so that he could work on them and guard them from those seeking to exploit them. This desire for a true companion that would never leave was one of his biggest, so he had compensated by surrounding himself with people. However, it had not the desired affect instead of relieving him of this ache it only intensified it, in that sea of people, he had never felt so alone.

No one could match him and there was no challenge in his life it made living so boring. School was enlightening but not thought provoking, his allies strong but not strong enough and everything was just too EASY. He was used to hard, used to working to keep his presence unnoticed and working for everything he got now it was all given to him. He HATED it.

Harry may be a prodigy, may be a genius but he worked hard for everything that came to him and this easy loll his life had turned into was…unacceptable. He knew what he had to do he had to go back into the society he hated he needed it to learn about his enemy, to test himself and most of all…to find a challenge.

It was time he'd stepped up in this game and put his abilities to the test in the real world, who knew maybe he'd even get to kill a few people. Harry hadn't killed anyone in a while, maybe that was what this sudden slump was, maybe not but he still needed to venture out to put some of his plans into motion.

Though this would all have to wait for later when the school year ended for now he would step up his studies again and search for a new challenge. Morgan should be able to provide him with something. That resolved he dried and dress ready to face this year with conviction and a promise to improve.

--xTimeSkipx--

Suzie clutched at her locket; like she always did when she was nervous ever since the say she left the orphanage. Holding it, the last connection to her brother, she felt safe his magic humming beneath her hands. Suzie was so nervous standing there just outside the great hall waiting to be sorted.

She wondered how they would do it, would they really have to fight a troll like that horrible red haired boy said? No, they were just first years it would be something else. For not the first time Suzie found herself wishing her big brother was here to protect her like he had always done.

But he wasn't at Hogwarts she knew that much, Harry Potter not going had made front page news last year for crying out loud! No one would ever suspect for her to know him, that he was her big brother, her rock and Suzie planed to keep it that way. Whenever someone asked (someone always does) about her locket that she let no one else touch Suzie just said that her big brother gave it to her.

Then that stern looking professor came to collect them for sorting and Suzie squeezed her locket harder in her fear. It was all for not though a few minutes later they were lined up facing a funny old hat that was singing a song and she giggled at it. Then the professor was calling out there names to be sorted.

It took a little while to get to her name, "Suzanne Forester." She ran up to the stool in her excitement pulling the tattered old hat firmly on her head.

_Hmmm, interesting mind now where to put you. Intelligent, loyal, and a longing to make you brother proud, yes, yes its all here in your head…well I know just the place for you, "**RAVENCLAW**'_

Well that was certainly a very weird experience but Suzie happily ran straight to the clapping table eager to join her new house. A spaced out looking girl joined her a while after, Luna Lovegood, Suzie thought, would make a great first friend in this new school. She only listened half heartedly to the rest of the sorting until, "Clark Potter!" The hall was draped in silence and an arrogant looking boy strutted up to the hat whispers of 'Harry Potter's little brother' following him.

While everyone else was looking at him in awe and envy Suzie was glaring at him with all her might, it was no wonder she had disliked him from the start! It was him; the boy her brother said had taken his place while his family abandoned him! Oh, Suzie never wanted to hurt someone as much as she wanted to hurt him.

Harry had been very distant and cold to her at times but he was also very kind. He had taken care of her and had protected her from the bullies at the orphanage. Harry had even seen to it that she went to a great new home with parents that loved her and treated her well. Suzie would do anything for Harry, she knew she would see him again she just had to be patient.

That's was part of the reason she hated this boy, they had left him, her big brother in that orphanage and she would never forgive them for what they had done. No excuse could justify it, no story, and no ignorance this boy, his family deserved whatever her big brother gave them!

The locket thumped against her chest perhaps it was agreeing with her and she stroked it with her hand for a moment to calm it. Ever since Harry had first cast his magic on it placing protection on it for her Suzie has had the best luck of anyone she's ever know. She never once had gotten hurt above a knee scratch, she never got lost and she never felt alone. Whenever she was nervous or getting frightened the locket would warm and then she would feel so safe/comforted.

Later in her new room in the Ravenclaw tower when she was sure Luna was asleep she opened her locket to gaze at the picture within. There he was her big brother holding her small hand in his big one smiling so small only someone who knew him like she had could see it.

Suzie missed him but she never lost hope not once she knew she would see him again. Harry rarely made promises to her back then but he had always, always kept them and he had promised they would meet again. Suzie had absolute faith that Harry would never lie to her or break promises she **would** see him again.

The next week as very exciting, classes were very interesting and she excelled in charms making her head of house very happy. She had made great friends with Luna and Suzie loved her quirky attitude it was like nothing could touch her. A few of the other girls had tried to bully her but Suzie had seen to them!

She'd met Ginny Weasley next, she was a nice girl but obsessed with her brother it was a little disturbing (she even talked about love potions!). Suzie found it easy to make friends with everyone no matter the house her brother always did say to not judge people by the outside but by their power.

To the great surprise of everyone she even made friends with a second year Draco Malfoy, he was a Slytherin but Suzie loved his sarcastic humor. That made her somewhat an enemy of Ron Weasley but the twins/Ginny made sure he didn't do anything. By the second week she had was much more comfortable with the school and managing homework, classes, and friends.

The first mayor trouble happened a month in, Suzie had been walking back from the Library just before curfew and had taken out her locket to fiddle with it while she walked. Then Filch and his cat found her; she wasn't out past curfew yet that didn't stop them though from trying to make her miserable.

He had told her he was going to confiscate her LOCKET and when he reached for it Suzie wasn't quite sure what came over her then. She bit his hand…hard…all Suzie could think of was keeping her promise to her brother and she ran. The next day she had been called up to the headmaster's office, (never liked the guy) eyes twinkling he told her not to do it again and keep her locket under her robes.

By the end of the week everyone had heard what she had done and wouldn't stop bugging her about the Locket. It seemed much to her dismay that Clark had a crush on her and more then once Suzie spotted him following her! Clark even sent other people to ask who had given it to her…she of course had refused to answer.

When their first flying lessons came around a month later Suzie felt fidgety and nervous, just the thought of being in the air on nothing but a stick with nothing to catch you if you fell made her sick with fear. Understandably she was very pale standing there next to her broom with her sweaty hands and yelling UP in a strained voice.

Then when it was time to mount them all she could think of was falling from very high up with no one being able to catch her, the broom shook, she screamed and it took off. The air rushed past her, her eyes were squeezed shut and Madam Hooch's calls for her to stop didn't reach her.

She went up for what seemed like forever and she dared not look down. Then her broom wavered, trembled and… dropped right out from under her, her hands were to slick with sweat to hold on anyways. She screamed then, long and loud as she pawed at her robes as she tumbled down to earth desperately trying to reach her locket.

Suzie was falling head first to the ground faster even then when she had risen above it when her hand grasped her warm pulsing locket and everything went dark.

--x--

Harry felt it, he blotted upright and ran from the classroom the tails of his tailored coat slapping against his ankles as he ran. He made it to his room in record time barely reregistering his disgruntled Vixi tangled in his hair as he sat on his bed and activated his 'gift' from Morgan.

Emerald eyes glowed silver as he saw what he'd come to label the 'Suzie connection' tremble in distress…Suzie was in danger. Concentrating he followed the magic and felt…knew Suzie was falling from an undistinguishable height and would die if he did nothing. So he pushed the well of his magic into saving her hoping this foolhardy idea would work.

--x--

Madam Hooch watched in horror as a student's broom blotted out of her control flying straight up into the sky her shouting to no avail as she became a speck up in the distance. Thinking quickly she cast a charm to alert the teachers that she needed aid before turning back to her pupil only to pale horribly as her student came tumbling back to earth…without her broom.

The girl was screaming, so was everyone else, and the teachers all came rushing wands drawn Hooch already had the cushioning charm halfway done when there was an explosion of light. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, Dumbledore, Mcgonagall, Snape and Flitwick reached her side, the student was engulfed in a bright glowing deep emerald sphere and everyone held there breath.

She was warm…and she felt safe. Slowly consciousness came back to her and Suzie dazedly looked around to discover everything around her was a deep green. Knowing she should be alarmed she couldn't bring herself to be as all she felt was a safety that hadn't been there since her brother gave her their one and only hug.

"_Suzie are you alright." _She whirled around searching for the face that matched that hauntingly familiar voice, "Yes, who are you?" was her tentative reply. _"Have you forgotten your big brother so easily?"_ She gasped, "No NEVER of course I know you Har- " "_Shush, Suzie, what happened? Why were you placed in danger?"_

She gave a sheepish grin feeling utterly foolish, "I'm sorry I got nervous and the broom got away from me." There was a silence and she felt like such a fool. Suddenly everything cleared and she was sitting on the ground facing a human shaped green mass.

Everyone watched as the orb descended gently to the ground, "What is that Albus? Accidental magic, maybe?" "No, I'm afraid not Minerva if I am not mistaken that is little Suzie in there, her Magic doesn't feel anything close to this." The teachers all nodded in agreement, Suzie had a strong aura and would become a wonderful witch. But this, this feel of being totally outclassed did not come from her they were sure.

They watched transfixed as the orb shifted and took shape…into that of a small boy they couldn't distinguish features just a basic outline that was completely green and glowing.

Harry decided it was best he confront Suzie face to face so to speak, he wouldn't REALLY be there of course and this was a great challenge for him. He knelt before her on the ground placing a careful hand on her shoulder to draw her attention, she'd grown, he saw within his mind's eye.

Still her big honey brown eyes were the same and for that he was grateful. _"Suzie you are to never ride another broom, understood?" _His voice was stranger, distorted and coming from seemingly everywhere on his 'body' (he had to work on that). Suzie nodded her accent ashamed she had failed at this and having her powerful brother know.

"_Good, now no moping remember to make me proud and become powerful." _His astral projection slid a hand to her locket and disappeared just as the teachers swooped down on her. In the end Suzie ended up in Dumbledore's office with Snape, Mcgonagall, and Flitwick staring down at her while she fidgeted in her seat. Hooch would have come too but she was supervising the flying lesson still.

"Now what I think we all want to know is: What happened? If you would be so kind Suzie?" Dumbledore asked with that damnable sparkle in his eye. Suzie really hated him at that moment because she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say so she decided to wing it, while keeping her brother's identity secret of course.

"Well sir, I was very nervous sir about Flying you see? And well it would seem that the broom didn't take to kindly to that and took off, slipped off fairly high up if I recall correctly. Then I was falling and my big brother saved me, that's about it, of course. Can I go now?" She said it in a rush hoping they wouldn't question her more but knowing it would do no good.

Twinkling blue eyes seemed to get an unknown gleam in them that Suzie decided made her entirely to uncomfortable and made her shift uneasily to the side. "Oh-ho who is this brother? Have we had the pleasure of meeting him before?" "No sir." "Why not? He is obviously magical. Yes?" Mcgonagall asked brow furrowed, "Come to think of it I don't think Jack and Cathleen have any other children."

"No, no he's not my REAL brother just my…brother," Suzie's big eyes showed her confusion and conflict in the end she decided she might as well tell them some things just not all. "You see, I'm adopted and when I was at the orphanage my big brother took care of me. We weren't related in any way and he'd been there a bit longer then me before I had came."

"Well, they other children didn't like me too much I was shy back then and weird stuff happened around me all the time. One day they ganged up on me and there was my brother, he saved me you know?" her eyes took on the look of complete and utter devotion. Snape shifted uncomfortably he'd seen a look similar on Bella's face a few times and it made him nervous.

"From then on he took care of me, bought me clothes, make sure I got enough to eat…that sort of thing. He even got me into a daycare! He taught me to read and write, all the things you needed to know." She said it in a rush; her eyes had a far off look like she wasn't paying much attention to them anymore.

"He was cold to everyone else though but he was never cruel with me, protected me from all the others when they tried to hurt me. Until that time…" Small glittering tears made her eyes shine, "He took me to Diagonally for the first time before I was adopted, it was the first time he let me go with him…"

They stood up at attention at that all wondering about this mysterious little boy. "Oh, he knew he was a wizard then?" Flitwick asked curious. Most muggleborn's don't even consider magic until they get their letter and the wizarding world had their own orphanages so he couldn't be a pureblood.

Her attention was on them again and her chest puffed up in pride the smile she had almost split her face in two, "OF COURSE! My big brother knew everything! He was so smart! And so powerful he learned a lot of magic on his own he could be loads more then me! Of course he taught me a few things too but I don't think I'll ever be anywhere near as good as he was."

"And what, pray-tell did he _**teach you**_?" Snape asked in his usual snarky way.

"OH would you like to see!" Suddenly humming with excitement. She never really got a chance to show off those particular talents as no one ever asked and she never got a chance after she got her wand. Suzie loved the fact that her brother could do something so impressive, she really hadn't grasped just how special it was until she had shown her new parents and had gotten used to the wizarding world.

"Please do." Even Dumbledore's twinkling couldn't dampen her mood and she just nodded enthusiastically. Suzie raised her hand and everything on his desk flew up in the air to dance around. She giggled at their stunned faces, "you know my brother could do so much more, mostly all I can do is make things float around."

Snape cleared his throat dramatically, "so Forester tell us about this _amazing _brother of yours?" Suzie didn't hear the sarcasm apparently as she got a reverent look on her face that made Snape shift awkwardly against the desk. "Yes, he is amazing isn't he? He could change anything into a toy for me when I was bored he didn't even have to move his hands at all!!"

"My big brother is amazing, I bet he even refused to come here 'cause he learns so fast on his own! Yeah he always did say wands were a troublesome and he preferred doing it on his own. Then again magic loves him, at least that's the impression I got 'cause he's always happier when he uses it. At least I think he's happy it's kinda hard to tell sometimes 'cause he never really smiles but when he gives you that hint of one it really makes him beautiful. Did I tell you how pretty he is?"

Mcgonagall seemed to be between shocked amazement and laughter at the hero-worshiping girl, "You never did tell us his name Suzie?" "oh, his name's Tristen he's really brilliant you'd love him, most adults do. He can be really charming sometimes…" she sighed wistfully, "He even got me my parents."

"How did he manage to 'save' you then Suzie?"

"That, oh that's easy enough he gave me this," she pulled out her locket that pulsed with power, "made me promise not to take it off and he put some of his magic on it for me so I'd never get hurt."

"How old was he when this happened?"

"Hmmm, I think he was almost nine." They all looked a little pale, a NINE year old made that powerful amulet hanging innocently around her neck. "Would you be so kind Suzie as to let me examine it?" Dumbledore asked kindly, twinkle and grandfather vibes on high.

In a flash Suzie went from cute, big-eyed innocent smile to snarling and clutching her locket to her in a death grip. "NO! YOU CANNOT! I promised, PROMISED, not to take it off! If I break my promise maybe my brother will break his and I'll never see him again! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" in an impressive display of magic everything in his office exploded from her anger.

--x--

He had a headache, and his entire front was soaked in blood from his nose. Harry stared lethargically at the door as it burst open revealing Simon, who surprised him more then his sudden rescue mission for Suzie. Simon tended to avoid him, though ever since he revealed his identity he'd been hanging around the group more, him especially.

Harry knew something was up with him though, ever since the beginning of third year he could feel Simon watching him and he didn't know why. That scared him.

Simon almost had a heart attack when Harry blotted out of the room like the devil was on his heels and quickly followed. He lost sight of him half way and had to back track to get his magical signature to follow. He had finally admitted to himself a while ago that his attraction to him was not going to suddenly go away no matter how much he wished it would.

Harry…Tristen was just so beautiful and so powerful just so perfect that he had desired him from the start. He knew he wasn't the only one, Logan and Leon did also at least he thought they did. He'd kept his distance though, Tristen hid a lot about himself and he couldn't be with him anyway his parents expected him to comply with his arranged match after all.

However, when Tristen had started to open up and had even told them of his true identity as Harry Potter Simon had begun to hope. Where his parents wouldn't have accepted the orphan Tristen they would definitely consider the famous Potter, and when Tristen had gave him that hint of a smile he found all his resistance had washed away.

Now, it all came down to winning Tristen over, not an easy thing to do when he hated to be touched and refused to be open with any of them. Panting he stood outside his door wondering if he should just barge in wondering if it would only cause trouble but when he felt Tristen's tremendous flow of magic being reigned in he couldn't stop himself.

Barging in made him wish he'd done so sooner, there was a lot of blood and Tristen was barely able to stand when he came in. He stumbled and just as he was about to fall Simon caught him holding him close not wanting to let go. "What has happened? Are you alright Tristen?"

He nodded his head slowly and tried to retreat from Simon's arms but Simon wouldn't let him. "Let me go." He said softly. "No, not ever." Simon held him close hugging him. Harry started to panic and struggled more which made them both fall Simon slammed into the door closing it.

Harry was shaking, trying to calm himself by sitting on his bed to slowly rock. Simon had touched him, he HELD him and his skin was crawling at the affection. It wasn't right, he was tainted he couldn't get his filth on Simon. He wasn't supposed to be hugged, the tender touching didn't belong to him and it made the voices in his head start up again. Voices he'd thought he'd silenced, the voice of his Uncle screaming how FREAKS weren't supposed to be hugged but lashed.

And the laughter, the laughter he could hear it again and flinched in phantom pain. Simon watched him wondering what was wrong; Tristen's eyes were wide and panicked with a crazed look. He just kept rocking muttering under his breath words he could not hear, something was wrong, something was VERY wrong.

Slowly he approached and sat beside him, Tristen didn't notice lost in his own little world. He gently put in hand on Tristen's shoulder; it got his attention at least as he flinched away and turned his scared broken jaded eyes on him. His breath caught; never had he'd seen so much emotion on Tristen's normally stoic face it was so terribly breathtaking.

"Do not touch me." He said in his smooth quiet voice inching away from him. "No," Simon said as he tried to pull him back into his embrace. Something inside Harry snapped and he couldn't seem to stop the words from coming out of his mouth. "You do not understand! I'll taint you, I'm filthy can't you see that!"

"No! I don't your beautiful Tristen!" A hard glint came into his eye and he couldn't stop himself from going further to try to MAKE Simon see that he was not to be touched. That he could never be beautiful, a small twisted hallow smile warped his face. "You think me beautiful? I'll show you just how wrong you are!"

In a flash he was on his feet hands going through a flurry of motions as he unbuttoned his coat and shirt letting them fall to a puddle of blood on the floor. Turning he bared his back to him, moving his hair to the side to show him his back riddled with scars.

The small cruel smile never left his face as he turned his head to look at Simon from over his shoulder, "NOW DO YOU SEE! I'm Filth, I am a FREAK and my taint is not **beautiful**." He spat out at him and waited for his reaction. He waited for him to agree, to spit on him and tell him how ugly he was now in his eyes. He waited but it didn't come.

He froze as instead of doing all the things he had expected Simon grabbed him from behind placing his head on Tristen's shoulder. He could feel what could only be the taller boy's tears running down his back, and he just couldn't force himself to move. He was in shock and just let Simon hold him to his broader chest hugging him around his shoulder keeping him plastered to his body.

Then he mumbled something Harry couldn't catch and started to kiss his shoulder. His lips trailed down kissing his scars, hands were gentle, words were soothing and kisses butterfly light. And he couldn't move, he tried but he just couldn't do it. So he stood there frozen in his room as Simon knelled behind him kissing his scars.

"W-w-why are you doing this?" The words tumbled from his mouth, his voice faint and wavering like never before. Simon paused, golden hair shading his face and eyes. "Because I love you, because I care, because you do so much and never ask for anything in return. Because I need to." He trailed off as he hugged him around his petit waist firmly kissing his back as he did so.

Harry fell to his knees in shock and Simon quickly pulled him into his arms on the floor. He had never felt this before, in Simon's arms it felt warm and comforting something he had never had. He had held but he had never been held before. For the next few hours Simon just held him, he didn't kiss him, didn't talk, didn't even try to kiss him and just held him close.

Eventually they drifted from the floor to his bed and Simon still held onto him wrapping him up in his arms. For the first time in his life that night he didn't have nightmares and when he woke up in the morning Simon was still there…holding onto him. He was still sleeping so Harry was able to gently remove himself from him without much of a struggle and he made a beeline for the bathroom once he got some clothes/towel.

He made the water hot and scrubbed longer then usual disgusted with himself. He had let Simon hold him, let himself be WEAK and be held by him. An unknown sadness came into his eyes as he fingered his scars once more tracing them as he washed, he wouldn't allow it to happen again. He wouldn't taint another with his filth, his marks.

When he got back to his room Simon was blessedly gone the moment and he could be alone for a while. He pulled out the dairy quickly after warding his room he needed to talk to Tom it made him feel…freer.

_Tom._

_Tristen? Why so early? _

_Tom, something happened. _

_Oh, What?_

_Simon TOUCHED me…he held onto me last night and refused to let go…he…he touched my scars Tom. _

_(Tom growled, no one touched what was his, even if Tristen didn't know it yet he was his. After all this past year they'd both revealed a lot about each other to one another. Not that Tom had told him everything, just some, but a lot more then he ever had before to anyone.) _

_Did you try to stop him!_

_I…I couldn't…I let him hold me Tom. That's what frightens me; I hate this weakness in me! _

_You are not weak…just a little lost right now. But you mustn't let him touch you EVER AGAIN! _

_Okay…I won't. He has feelings for me Tom. Maybe I shall use that weakness to gain his loyalty. _

_NO! I mean… then you'd have to let him __**touch**__ you more often could you handle that? Letting his skin touch your body, your scars, that WORD. Could you do that? _

_No, I couldn't but I could still use it just lead him on a bit. I have to go Tom school is in an hour and I don't have my work finished. _

Tom was so frustrated, he needed a body and he needed one NOW! That boy would pay for touching what was his and pay dearly. He had enough energy built up he could do it, but not until tonight when Tristen slept so that he wouldn't be caught without energy for the compulsion web should the need arise.

Lately it hadn't come up as often and Tom supposed it was because Tristen had come to depend on him. Whether it was just for someone to listen to him, or someone to help run ideas by Tristen was increasingly using the dairy to talk with him. Tom hated to admit it but Tristen had gotten to him as much as he'd gotten to Tristen.

The rest of the day was very hectic for Harry as he spent most of it trying to avoid Simon and fighting his urges to hide somewhere. That night he went straight to bed, just wanting the release that was sleep to escape from his reality. Fate, it seemed, wasn't so kind.

_**(Dream)**_

_**It was dark, dusty and he felt cramped. It was a strange sense of consciousness almost like seeing yourself in a distorted mirror while the world around you warped. Then there was a voice in this strange new darkness, a new awareness. **_

"_**Filthy blood traitors…Kreacher knows mistress…shame on the house of Black. Filthy muggle-lover not like his brother…" **_

_**His new place tilted and moved as the voice became louder. A new energy seeped in and he could feel magic once more. **_

"_**Mostn't let young master's locket get lost…trusted Kreacher with it so, Kreacher kept it safe, kept it hidden. See Mistress, Kreacher obeys." **_

"_**YESSSS" the hissing came from him but it was not his voice. He felt elated; at long last he would have a body once more. There was a yelp and the thudding sound of a body hitting the floor. He felt strange, feeling things, seeing things, and thinking things that were not his own. **_

_**Slowly as if awakening from a dream the darkness receded and he could feel his body once more. But it wasn't his body he felt and this all was confusing him more then he liked. Suddenly he whirled around and caught sight of 'himself' in the dusty reflective glass of a case. **_

_**It was not 'him' just as this dream was not 'his'. In this strange new place where he was a spectator he watched as a house-elf withered on the floor and 'his' body became more solid. This man appeared to be twenty, devastatingly handsome with his sharp features, dangerous ruby eyes (eyes he recognized but couldn't place), broad shoulders, tall with pale skin and short dark stylish hair.**_

_**He was alive once more, whoever this god-like man was, and he was thrilled about it. A jolt of excitement ran through him that Harry recognized as bloodlust and made him crave it himself. The sly knowing smirk on his features would haunt him even in his waking hours. **_

_**The man looked upon himself once more as Harry used his eyes to see from 'within' him and smirked, "Time to find my other half." He hissed out in what he recognized as parseltongue. **_

Harry woke up sweaty and confused not sure where he was for a few minutes. He was himself again and quickly moved to touch his face and body just to be sure. It was a strange dream, more vivid then any one he'd ever had and just left him with more questions then answers. Knowing it was no use to ponder the mechanics now Harry forced himself to sleep knowing he would need it.

When morning rolled around Harry found himself doing something he normally wouldn't do, looking at himself in a mirror. The dream had shaken him, even though it was just that: a DREAM. Still it reassured him to reach out and touch his face making sure that it was truly his eyes he was looking out of not someone else's.

It had been a long night and no matter what anyone else my think Harry was just an ordinary boy when it came down to it. He needed sleep like everyone else, he bled, he felt, he looked just like everyone else and yet there was always that something that made him stand out. He was a freak even here, he was abnormal, he was tainted but most of all he was alone.

Alone in this life, always completely and utterly A.L.O.N.E. Conceivably this fact was getting to him more then he had thought it was the only thing he could think of as an excuse to his previous behavior with Simon. He wanted companionship just like everyone else, but as always he was a freak in even that.

He couldn't let himself be with just anyone, couldn't relax and force his guard down so he FELT that he wasn't alone. That was his problem; he wanted to be with someone and yet didn't want to at the same time. How…hypocritical of him. Vulnerability frightened him and he refused to do what was needed so he no longer felt this gnawing painful loneliness.

Maybe that was why he never questioned the dairy, never questioned spilling his heart out to the fictional Tom because he wasn't real. Because Tom couldn't touch him and take advantage of his vulnerability maybe that was why he come to be so attached to the little worn book.

Harry no longer denied he was different, even in this unique and magical world he could not find his place. To be different is to be alone and to be alone is to be different something he had learned early on. He looked once more to study his face trying to find the evidence of his strangeness on it wondering if that was even possible while doing so.

He wasn't arrogant or cocky nor was he conceited in any way but he knew his face (unmarred save his disguised lightening blot scar) was somewhat angelic in its appearance. He just looked beautiful and if it weren't for his adam's apple one would almost think him female.

Yes, he had a face of an angel. A small smirked found its way onto his face: even the devil was an angel once. Maybe he had fallen from grace and become the inky blackness of evil with an innocent mask just as Lucifer. Then again Harry very much doubted he had ever been in grace's light, he refrained from laughing at the irony of his snake's name as he still despised laughter in all its forms even from himself.

The wizarding world had rested the hope of their world of light on his shoulders and Harry decided it would be soon that he would need to shatter that foolishness. As Aristotle once said: 'Hope is but a waking dream'. Harry had suffered at the hands of so many filthy creatures below him in status he refused to let the same happen to anyone else even if he had to bring down the world to do so.

Some say never to have suffered is to never have been blessed, Harry said that those who believe so hadn't truly suffered. What good was suffering, what good was pain to you other then used to breaking your mind and body? Nothing could wash away the years he had suffered under the muggles and not even Magic could smooth away the scars.

They had marked Harry, he had been given a fowl symbol of how cruel a creature muggles are and had found he should return the favor. Muggles had their uses, this he acknowledged, but they were like a plague killing the earth and everything around it. Pushing his thoughts aside he realized his face had become shadowed with hate, anger, and darkness.

Slowly but surely he suppressed this down until the blank serene mask was present once more. Idly Harry thought everyone was as the moon having a dark side that you hid from everyone showing the beauty instead but every so often that darkness appears seemingly out of nowhere. It lets you know that no matter how well you hide that darkness, how much you try to shine through with light, the darkness is waiting for you there behind that mask of beauty.

Shaking himself Harry got himself ready for the day somehow knowing it was going to be very long and tedious stemming from his trouble with Simon. Avoiding him had been far to easy yesterday and his paranoid mind told him today he would not be so lucky. __


	6. Wanted

**To my lovely readers! Thanks for all he reviews and all your support. I know this took a little while longer then expected but I hope you enjoy it! Just so you know I don't get the people who PM me and tell me that I shouldn't write this as slash if I don't want flames! Hello people I clearly said that this was going to be slash in the very beginning you don't like it don't read it! Lol. Another thing is that I know I really have bad grammar and I'm working on it so please be patient, this chapter is currently unbetaed. I'll probably end up going back and reediting this entire story so yeah, Thanks for the Reviews and I hope you guys like this story!**

Tom had waited long enough now and he was ready, finally, to get a body. The magic he'd been accumulating since his arrival at this magically enriched school had enough power to do this at last. He smirked; truly his own genius astounded even him sometimes.

His soul was fractured, yes, but not disconnected, he could feel every last one and his other more dominate soul. Pity that he couldn't transfer his memories and knowledge along as well when it was done, unless his other self came in contact with this soul piece. However, this would have to do because while he felt them, knew them, he couldn't slide along his consciousness only his power.

This would have to do until he got the chance to interact with his older piece of soul, smirking he got to work. First he felt across that invisible thin line that connected his soul pieces together, and then he found the ones that had life forms near enough for the ritual.

Only two possibilities, one was surrounded by what he could sense were goblins but none came close enough to work with. The last one, his smile was feral, had a house elf in close vicinity and would have to do. The smirk never left as he thought of how useful his heightened magical awareness was at that moment, truly being able to sense and distinguish magic was one of his more useful gifts.

Losing not a moment when he felt the elf's magic near enough he pushed all his power through the line and into this other piece of his soul. He felt it work almost immediately, felt the line thicken with it and a body forming there. It was not him, or at least not this part of him that was being resurrected he was slightly jealous at the thought.

He was to stay here in this book for now, and when the time came he couldn't wait to pass on his memories, to live, and to satisfy one of his more pressing urges. Namely his obsession of a boy named Tristen and exactly what he could really do. He was no fool, he knew even with the compulsion web and Tristen's affinity with him Tristen did not divulge all he could to him.

Tristen had secrets, many in fact, and he was a mystery he just couldn't solve remaining here in this book. However, should he be able to pass his knowledge, and obsession on to his other half he could indulge himself with it. Yes, it would be interesting indeed the meeting of his Tristen and him.

--x--

He had been right of course, Simon was definitely going to be a problem and avoiding him was going to be difficult. He used just about every other person in the group to keep Simon at a distance. Nevertheless, it seemed it did nothing for his persistence Simon keep on trying and Harry kept on avoiding.

It happened on the way to lunch just as Harry had feared, everyone else was wrapped up in class discussion and Simon saw an opening. He swooped down on him like a hawk on its prey and pulled him into one of the unused classrooms. So there he was back pressed against the door and Simon towering over him, he hated feeling this weak.

Simon cupped his cheek caressing it with his thumb while looking at him with something Harry didn't want to understand in his eyes. "You've been avoiding me." It was more a statement then a question and Harry could see the hurt flash across his face. "What is it you want of me Simon?"

"You know what I want Tristen. You. It has always been you. I am tired of fighting it and I know you feel something for me! Why else would you have let me hold you that night?" Harry flinched, knowing his weakness had placed him here. When had he gotten so desperate for companionship that he had let this come to pass?

"You're wrong Simon, no, I can't be what you want of me." He gently pushed his hand from his face. Simon didn't look the least bit deterred though and looked Tristen deep in his eyes like he was drowning in the emerald depths. "No, you felt something I know it."

Then slowly he started to lean his face in and Harry knew what was coming, a kiss, his first kiss was about to be stolen. He did the only sensible thing he could in that situation, he ran, and kept on running. Okay, maybe it wasn't the bravest thing to do but when faced with the idea of anyone trying to be that affectionate to him or getting the hell out of there he took his chances.

He was a fast runner and the years he had spent on the street had not abandoned him, all these things proved invaluable when escaping his overly affectionate suitor. Now he just had to figure out where to hide, and he had the perfect place. He ran the entire way there and was out of breath by the time he got there.

Stephanie was in the infirmary like always bustling around trying to keep everything in order, there were two knocked out patients already and the day wasn't even over. That was one of the downfalls of having such an advanced school you got bigger accidents here and more likely to end up here.

Harry tilted his head to study her as she went about casting spells over a currently neon green fifth year who had gotten his potions ingredients mixed. He had tried to convince her to get rid of the scars on his legs completely, telling her that he had no problem letting her open up those wounds again if it meant the mark wouldn't be there.

However, she had refused but she did have the decency to explain why. Turns out it was impossible for her to do so, not because her skills were lacking, no, nothing like that. It rather had to do with the fact the scars had been there a very long time, the magic he had used to close the wounds when they had first occurred was still there.

It was his own magic that made it impossible, if she tried to cut open the wounds with her magic in order to stitch it up it was possible that his magic would react badly to her. Either it would attack her in a bout of accidental magic or worse it would attack himself making the cut impossible to close bleeding him out.

That's not even saying anything about the damage that could be done if she had tried to do something that apparently his unconscious mind doesn't want. She had taught him how to fade his scars himself, they wouldn't work on the thicker ones on his back but the smooth ones on his legs should have been easy to rid himself of, SHOULD have been.

When he had tried the spell it hadn't worked and the lines just got more pronounced the more he tried. He had looked it up in the library and had found out that sometimes when the caster doesn't REALLY want the scars to fade they wont. That had in turn opened another can of worms on his thoughts: Why did he want the marks to remain?

He had thought long and hard on the subject an only came up with one answer, he want to remember. The scars weren't only a symbol of muggle cruelty it was a reminder should he ever try to question his path in life. His scars reminded him every day that no muggle deserved his mercy, they all deserved to die.

Not that he'd ever kill them all they were all too useful to kill off completely but if should say eighty percent die out he wouldn't bat an eye. The scars on his back were to remind him also of his own weaknesses and how he HAD to push himself harder, be better so that they could never hurt him again.

There were a lot of reasons why he wanted the scars there and maybe he would get rid of them fully on day. But right now he wasn't ready to completely rid himself of the terrible truths that the filthy muggles had carved into his back. He was a freak after all and he could never forget just how much he was an outsider even in this world.

The muggles feared them and would hunt them down should they ever know the existence of magic. Or it could be worse, they could capture them to use as weapons and lab rats to whatever twisted schemes their horrible minds came up with. Stephanie looked up at him at that moment and motioned him to go into her office.

"You look troubled Tristen. Well sort of, anyways what are you doing here we don't have lessons until tonight."

Harry looked up at her and was again confused at why it was he came here to hide away from his troubles. Maybe because no one knew he spent his time here or maybe it was that he didn't want to hear Morgan nag at him. Whatever it was he was here now and he couldn't just leave Simon might find him.

"Oh, um, just wanted to ask if you had the potion directions for the dreamless sleep?" He thought up an excuse quickly she didn't look convinced but she gave him the directions nonetheless. He left right after and went out to the school grounds seeing no other options.

It was peaceful here on Avalon; it was so far from the larger troubles the world carried and Harry never felt as at home as he did when he was here. The forests surrounding the school had an abundance of rare potion ingredients and exotic wildlife, things everyone else thought of as extinct or legend.

He took a deep breath of air and calmed himself finally back to his tranquil coldness from before this whole Simon incident. He found his favorite thinking tree and climbed up in its branches to think.

Nothing like this had happened to him before and it unsettled him that soon this would be a regular occurrence. He was no fool, he may be twelve but he knew the way the world worked…knew what was soon going to drive his peers. Soon the teenage drive to experiment would cloud his once reasonable friends, Simon had already succumbed to it the others couldn't be far behind.

Harry wasn't blind nor was he oblivious he'd seen the looks that he had begun to draw from the ones around him the whole thing disturbed him more then he showed. After he had stopped hiding in the shadows, cloaked by his magic and doing everything he could think of to avoid attention everything had changed for him.

He had known he was fairly attractive even as a younger boy, this was a blessing and a curse. His looks will help him manipulate the ones foolish enough to fall for his pretty face but it also drove people to want to TOUCH him. He couldn't stand that thought, people touching him and expecting him to touch them back, disgusting really.

It was different when he was doing the touching or allowing himself to be touch because he was in control of the situation. Soon they would want to casually touch him, flirt with him and …be intimate with him. Really it was more then he could handle at the moment he had hoped he wouldn't have to deal with this chaos for another few years…he was twelve for fuck's sake!

He growled, this whole thing was going to be a hassle and he dreaded it more then even facing his 'family' right then. Sighing he gazed out at the trees surrounding him letting the peacefulness of the day to seep into him. He had to approach this logically and rationally to find a way out of this chaos.

Okay, so Simon had already succumbed to teenage madness, the others would soon follow and with him approaching his teens soon he'd be open to any of the upper years to pursue. People would approach him in hopes of a romantic liaison, he gulped, of course he had the option of refusing them but they would just pursue him until he was 'taken'.

He rubbed his forehead tiredly; this was just going to horrible wasn't it? There was only so much he could do after all it wasn't like he had a guardian to defend him against these attacks. He looked up stunned, why hadn't he thought of that before! Yes, Cleo had said something about finding someone, an eighth year he believed, that could be suitable for him and was willing to adopt.

He had dismissed it before in favor of emancipation but now having a guardian looked much more then the freedom of governing himself. Now, if only he could remember the girl's name…YES that was it, Madeline Winter, that was who it was Madeline Winter.

Okay now that a plan of action was decided all that was left was manipulating the puppets the right way and hopefully this whole mess would resolve itself. Now, he had to find Cleo, research this Winter girl and hope she wouldn't mind repelling his pursuers.

Harry heaved a heavy sigh, why was he the only one that saw this whole 'relationship' business was raving madness? Harry decided he would stay out here for a while and relax for once.

--x--

Dumbledore checked the scrap of paper once more to make sure he got the address right and made his way up the steps to enter the orphanage. He felt a chill of déjà vu thinking of the last time he went to an orphanage in search of an extraordinary boy. No, this Tristen wouldn't be like that last boy…at least he hoped not.

Suzie's slightly fanatical loyalty of the boy was enough to merit a visit from him; maybe he was even the one they had been searching for not that it wouldn't be a disappointment if he wasn't Harry. After all a boy with as much power as Suzie had implied would make for a good stand in weapon and all he would need was a good glamour potion if he went that route.

It shouldn't be too hard to turn this Tristen into 'Harry Potter' until the real one could be found and it would buy him some time. That in mind he started his search starting with the receptionist and ending with the children. At the end of an hour though he was severely frustrated, their memories had been tampered with he was sure of it!

They only had a vague recollection of the boy and his probes into their minds didn't help either someone had placed a number on them. It was so powerful even he couldn't get a clear picture of whom the hell this boy was and he was obviously not here. There was only one viable option he could think of that only served to frustrate him more as he left the useless orphanage.

Someone had gotten to Tristen before him and had locked the memories of the boy's time there away. Only one person he could think of could do such a thing and best him in this, Seline that blasted Headmistress of that damnable school. Well that was just wonderful she had gotten to him before he even had a chance to persuade him to their side.

That witch would corrupt him for sure against him, Dumbledore was sure she was still sore about losing Tom to him. Well, at least he had stopped Tom from going to that school; he shivered thinking of what could have happened if Voldemort had ever gone to a school like Noctiluca.

There wasn't much else to do he'd have to put that idea aside for now and focus on finding the real Harry Potter. His eyes twinkle when an idea occurred to him, yes, maybe that would work.

--x--

Madeline Winter was a curious girl, at least Harry thought so and she was very interesting. She got her mastery in Potions at age twelve (even in Noctiluca that's uncommon most mastery's are gained by sixteen, if at all), her journeyman in Alchemy, an American and an orphan.

She was pretty enough, long rich brown hair that fell straight down her back ending mid thigh, cold stormy gray eyes, curvy, and somewhat short at five foot six. Harry had researched her thoroughly, she had a sarcastic attitude, and very intelligent. She also had a well-hidden maternal side that he only discovered thanks to Cleo.

All in all she was a fairly decent choice for a mother figurehead to guard him against intimate advances, his troublesome 'family', and the mechanics of the ministry. Now that he had decided that he wanted her all that was left was get her to adopt him and get everything squared away.

He had managed to avoid Simon all yesterday but he couldn't keep this up for long he needed her to get maternal over him now! Damn, this was all getting so complicated sometimes he wondered if trouble didn't seek him out because he sure as hell didn't search for it!

Harry found her potion lab easy enough it was on the fifth floor and it helped that she was currently tearing a fifth year a new one just outside of it.

"You FUCKING DUNDERHEAD!! Do you have any IDEA how long it took to get that potion started!! Two freaking MONTHS work down the drain because you couldn't understand the simplest instructions! Did your mother drop you on your head as a baby? Because that would explain how you got fucking dim-witted enough to think NEWT eyes meant TOAD eyes!"

The boy whimpered as she somehow managed to make her five foot six seem to tower over him and tried in vain to stutter out a lame apology.

"Did I say you could speak Mr. Dunderhead! You piteous excuse for a man! I knew, I just KNEW I shouldn't believe the headmistress when she said you were adequate at potions. I don't care how much your parents are paying for tutoring if I see your sniveling face around my potions lab again…well lets just say your going to be missing a few VITAL parts!"

He ran away so fast he stumbled on his two feet toward the end of the hall and crashed into the corner when he tried to turn. For a moment Harry thought twice about approaching her just then but decided it was now or never and cleared his throat softly to get her attention.

"WHAT!" she spun around so fast he was sure she got whiplash she looked furious at first but when she got sight of him her expression cleared. She raised an aristocratic eyebrow at him, "May I help you?"

"I should hope so, I'm Tristen Stillnight and I just wanted to speak with you a moment if that's alright?" He asked politely with his face carefully unreadable.

"Huh, so you're the one everyone's talking about…somehow I expected someone…**taller**," she raised her hand just above her head to emphasize her point. "Well no matter I have a bit of free time thanks to that bumbling buffoon." She huffed and motioned him to follow her into her lab.

Harry took that moment to study her up close, it was curious Madeline spent most of her time making potions but she didn't have the common greasy hair, bad skin and stained hands that came from such things. Her high cheekbones, full pouty lips, arched brows, and almond shaped eyes made her seem more like a Lord's daughter then a potion Mistress.

He also took note that unlike her peers she wore no form of makeup and didn't appear to care enough to style her hair more then that single braid down her back. Tomboy, immediately came to mind as he studied her more closely she was definitely different then most.

She was flicking her hand around vanishing the botched potion, cleaning messes and summoning two chairs for them to sit. They were directly facing each other and it would have been intimidating had Harry been anyone else. He took the smaller seat provided as she took the slightly bigger one across from him. Harry was happy to note that she had an expression of cool indifference and was entirely unreadable.

Yes, she would do nicely as his mother and he already found himself warming up to her. "So, you want to be adopted?" Straight to the point with a questioning undertone not easily picked up and could be mistaken for sarcasm; she would do nicely indeed.

Harry didn't like to talk even after the years of practice in the flied he had to yet break himself of the silence that had ruled his first few years. Still when occasion called for it he talked, smoothly and with composure, which happened more often of late. So while he didn't like to speech much at all he did know how to get his meaning and intent across in as few words as possible a skill he very much appreciated at the moment.

"Very much so. I assume Cleo has alluded to the details?" Her eyes lit up with curiosity and a determined glint he wasn't sure if it was a good thing though.

"She may have mentioned in passing that you wished to be free of some family ties and that you were an orphan by choice and not design."

"Ah, It is true my **family** is regretfully breathing at the moment." She raised an eyebrow catching the hidden meaning behind the words.

"So how is it you think I can help you Tristen?"

"I was assured you were of age?"

"Yes I am. I wouldn't have the funds to support a child as of yet though. I am an orphan by design I'm afraid and have yet to find suitable funds to secure my own home."

Harry smirked, "I don't need to be taken care of that way". She looked at him curiously before getting a light in her eyes, "You just need a figurehead someone to stand up for you." It was more of a statement then a question but he answered it nonetheless.

"Yes, I am unfortunately from a rather well-known line." She nodded as if that explained it all.

"How would adopting you work anyway? Don't your parents have custody of you? I don't they'll take lightly to me trying to gain any sort of guardianship."

"No, I dare say they wont."

"So how did you plan on doing it?" She seemed to light up with intelligent curiosity and seemed more interested in this political play then in him personally.

"Simple, they gave up all rights the moment they 'let' me become a ward of a muggle government." Her eyes clouded over with something; dark and filled with pain…he knew those eyes. He knew them because his eyes were the same when he thought of his time under their thumb.

Suddenly, she was looking at him differently in a strange way that made him very uncomfortable…_she knew_…and for the first time since he began at Noctiluca he wanted to be unnoticeable. She blinked a second later and a huge smile lit her face up like the sun on a cloudless day.

She was on him in a moment gushing around him and examining him from all angles, it was all very disturbing, as it had never before failed to turn attention away from him. "Oh! I didn't know you were practicing Occlumency! And to already start reaching this level, unheard of really it is! Maybe the rumor mill finally has some truth to it…no wonder they call you Prince Fey."

"What are you talking about?" She froze and really stared hard at him mouth slightly agape in disbelief. "You mean you don't know!"

"What you just did there! It is from an obscure branch of magic called Occlumency at its root it a branch that is devoted entirely to _**hiding**_. Most just know about the first level of its most basic function: hiding thoughts, or guarding their minds from attack. However, that's not all Occlumency does it is an art that is hardly ever properly used as it has many dimensions that are hard to master."

"As I said most know Occlumency guards the mind, the next level would be hiding your aura or presence. Your aura is what makes most take notice in you in a crowd or how they read your personality. Then it's hiding your magical signature, now that has a whole slew of uses. If one can't feel the intent behind a silent spell they can't prepare a counter measure. The ministry wouldn't be able to monitor you either. Next there's hiding yourself entirely it would be the same as if you used an invisibility cloak, no one can see you."

"Then there is taking that ability and using it encompass another being or object to make them invisible as well. I know there are more then that but that's all I could discover about the art. What you did was part aura and part physical it is incomplete and needs work. But it IS more then most could ever hope to achieve without proper tutoring." She looked at him again like he was a puzzle she would love to solve.

"What is it's counter-part?" her eyes shifted and she gazed at him in wonder once again. The little known fact about magic is that though it was chaotic at times it needed this twisted balance to survive. He had only just brushed the surface in this part of his research but if magic created something like Occlumency to hide it would also make something to counter it.

It was part of the reason some magic was light and some dark, it was all about balancing the two. For without darkness one could not know light and without light one could not know darkness, they needed each other. Sadly very few fully grasped this concept, even at Noctiluca, blinded to this strange balance magic always… always had. Madeline it would seem grasped this to some degree just as he had there was always something to counter something seemingly unbeatable.

So Occlumency while a valued skill had its counter and could be defeated one only had to know the HOW. "Legilimency is Occlumency's counter. The art of finding that which is hiding and it too has many dimensions which can match that of Occlumency." She said no more though he noticed and she looked slightly uncomfortable so he let it drop…for now.

"So as I was saying before your attempted disappearing act…how would it work?"

"They gave their rights up for me, reckless abandonment I believe its called. All I would need would to go through adoption through American means it should work."

"Yes, I see by going that way we both can get duel citizenship but still fall under the Wizarding congress in America. Effectively leaving us free of the English Ministry or more focally leaving YOU free. Parents give up their rights to a child when left at an orphanage unless they adopt them back which would be impossible if you already had a parent guardian. I see, a clever move."

She looked at him closely this time as if the answers to the world were written on his face, or at least the answers to him. "Now that we got the how's and why's out of the way…who are you REALLY? _Tristen?_" He had somewhat expected that after learning just how intelligent Madeline really was but it still made him pause if only for a moment.

He allowed himself a small quirk of the lips slip past his impeccable mask of indifference, "Now why would I tell you that?" She quirked an eyebrow (a habit when she was curious he realized) and replied "Because I will have to know whom I am going to adopt for this to work the way we want it."

Harry was somewhat startled, he thought he'd have to convince her slowly over time before she accepted her role as his guardian it seemed Madeline would continue to surprise him. "I suppose it would be pertinent, my name is Harry James Potter." Of all things Harry had been suspecting her reaction was not one he had anticipated in this risky move.

Madeline instead of being shocked or even surprised by the announcement she just got this evil little smirk on her face like she just did something really horrible and enjoyed it. Harry in turn was not the least bit disturbed, as most people would have been instead he just smirked along with her. He knew he would grow to be somewhat attached to this fiery tomboy Potion Mistress.

"Well, isn't that just **delicious**," her smirk turned into a sly smile, "I always loved to create a good stir and sticking it to that pompous Ministry and snobbish light family is definitely a plus. Oh, I already love you!" And Harry became stiff as a board as Madeline did something he definitely had not expected again as she gathered him into her arms for a hug.

His First HUG, Harry had given a few hugs of his own before but never had someone held him like this (he studiously ignored the fact Simon had embraced him this was of a different sort after all). Madeline amazingly didn't pull away not put off by his stiffness in the least she just held him tighter.

"I've heard you are not one for contact…but I am to be your Mother. I…I know what it is to be stranded alone in a muggle orphanage and what that means to people like us. So I am going to touch you, I am going to hug you I will do so a lot but only in private like now if you prefer. But I will touch you Harry, my son will know what it is to be hugged by his mother." Madeline almost lost it when Harry slowly forced himself to be not so stiff with her.

She had spent the first decade of her life in a muggle orphanage, she had been strange to them from the start and she knew what it was to be an outcast. Though she suspected Harry had had it much worse then she could ever know but she knew this no touching thing would have to be broken eventually. He was such a small beautiful child and holding him in her arms brought out the maternal part of her.

Madeline had always wanted to be a mother, ever since she had discover as a little girl that a woman could become one. However, since that whole mess from what she called the "Kade incident" she didn't feel she could be a partner for anyone leading her to this last venue to achieve her dream of motherhood: adoption.

Harry was just to prefect for words, beautiful, powerful, and intelligent; he had so much potential she would be proud to call him her son. Madeline was no fool she knew Harry also had many faults, many more wounds and she hoped she could help him heal.

Madeline held him in her arms for a long time, longer then Harry thought anyone would ever hold someone. She was strange, just holding him to her, not looking at his face, not asking anything of him, not pulling away or trying to do anything at all really. Just holding him, wrapping him up in her arms and offering him comfort something that had never happened to him before this pure unselfish hug.

They stayed that way for a good hour not speaking another word as she held him and despite himself Harry was relaxing in the hold toward the end. She did have to stop sometime, though, when she did she smiled kindly and kissed him on his cheek. Harry was stunned beyond words and looked at her as if **she** was the _puzzle_ **he** needed to solve.

"Now, we will get to the official stuff this summer and begin the legal process then. For now I want you to come here every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday night after classes. I won't have MY son without a mastery in potions by the time I'm done with you Mastery will be a piece of cake this summer. Not to mention I need to begin to teach you Occlumency among other things and I won't have not knowing my son so we'll know everything about the other in the end." She smiled mysteriously as she said this and it unnerved him a little.

"Alright" he sounded reluctant but really he was boiling with excitement. School had gotten to easy even with his extra classes with Healer Stephanie and Morgan this was a welcome addition. Still the guarded cold impassiveness that had faded a little toward the end of the hugging session came back full force as he gazed up at her from the chair, "Why?"

That one little word held a lot of weight on it and asked a lot of questions…but just one at the same time. Why was she doing this? She smiled a little bittersweet; "I've always wanted to be a Mom Harry, always. I just don't think I will ever be able to be that someone for somebody. I want to be your mother, I want to give you my love and I am purely selfish in wanting to be the one who is there for you Harry as there was no one for me. If you can let me have that, let me love you I will do everything in my power to see that everything you ever wanted achieved."

He was taken aback, throughout that all she never once said a word about getting his love in return just that she wished to love him. She wanted him, wanted to be his mother not just his figurehead defender… a true mother to him. Could he allow that? Could he give up the freedom of independence from all family-like ties had given him? More importantly did he even want her love, her acceptance…her comfort?

Most orphans would have jumped at this chance, finding someone who truly just wanted to love you expecting nothing in return not even your own love was more the rare. However, Harry had never been normal and he probably would never be normal.

He was afraid, afraid of this open unconditional love of a mother that he had never been exposed to before. Could he handle allowing someone that close to him even if it just one-sided? Unconsciously his arms reached around to finger the scars he knew were hidden under his clothes giving the appearance of hugging himself. Then her arms were there, holding him as before, expecting nothing but to hold him in her arms to give him comfort.

Harry decided then that he could let it happen…just this once he could let someone love him. However, he knew he couldn't allow himself to love her in return for it would hurt far to much when she left. She would leave just as everyone before her had left and he would be alone as he had always been. For now though he would just enjoy the reprieve from his loneliness that Madeline was offering while it lasted.

"Okay," he answered in a very small very quiet way that made her squeeze harder.

--x--

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles at Neville as he fidgeted in the chair before him looking increasingly nervous as the minutes rolled on. He wouldn't do at all, of course he would never say such a thing out loud but Neville had enough experience with this that Dumbledore's eyes said it all.

He was a disappointment, he had seen that look in his gram's eyes enough he could spot it even hidden under Dumbledore's constant twinkle. It made him feel lower then a worm when even DUMBLEDORE looked at him like that. He had never been particularly smart, neither was he a wiz at any type of spell work and he was absolutely abysmal at potions. In fact the only thing he knew he was exceptional at was Herbology but that didn't really count for anything.

Dumbledore didn't like this but it needed to be done after all it was for the greater good. Neville wasn't impressive in the least but one could always count on the naiveté of the wizarding populace. They saw what they wished to see forever and always very much like sheep they followed whatever direction someone in high authority pointed.

All that was needed to be done was lead them in the right direction, still he wished he had something more to work with as Neville looked nothing like a savior to him. Well it would have to do after all it was needed until the time in which Harry could be found.

Besides being spineless had its uses Neville would be an easy pawn to manipulate until his knight was returned to him. "So tell me Neville what would you do to make your Gram proud?" Neville's eyes lit up a moment and he could see the desire in them as bright as day. It was almost to easy to direct him in the right direction after that serving no challenge at all but then he has had decades of practice.

--x--

Madeline, or Maddy as she insisted he call her (for now at least) had taken to him more then he could have ever hoped. She played her role well and had kept Simon from making any more advances on in any way but friendship. Maddy wasn't kidding when she said she expected perfection when it came to potions and had him advancing more rapidly then he could have ever dreamed of on his own.

It had the unfortunate side effect of making the class unbearably boring but did free up time so he could work on his mark that had hit a few snags. He had expected to finish work on it last year but something just kept coming up that he wanted to add to the already intricate piece.

It was one last runic alignment for protection, one last rearrangement so it would attach more firmly to the wearer or one more customization. It did not help that the more advanced he became at potions the more things he seemed to find he wanted to add to his special ink mix to help the mark.

Maddy had been a rare treasure in more ways then one as it turned out. She knew many things Harry had yet to even dream of and all sorts of obscure branches of magic. His Occlumency training was going well and he was already starting to block her out more consistently after a week of practice.

Not to mention all the contacts and allies he had gained from spending so much time with her. Maddy wasn't a social person, really preferring her potion labs to a day out but she did have some very influential friends. Harry had an easy time converting the younger years into something of a hero worship of him but the upper years had been a task he hadn't quite gotten the handle of.

However, his new association with Maddy had lead to some convent moments with his upperclassmen and he had swiftly gained their respect with his knowledge. Since Madeline was already something of a prodigy they found his company interesting and liked to seek him out on occasion to discuss magical theory.

Understanding the chaotic wildness of magic more then anyone Harry had earned their awe and reverence when it came to explaining how magic worked. Everyone had started to call him Prince Fey openly after that and at first he had been disturbed at how close to the truth they had been. Then Maddy explained that Morgan la fey had been legendary in her immediate grasp of magic and how quick witted she had been.

Morgan's legendary skills in magic seemed to be embodied in Harry, as he was more advanced then anyone they had ever heard of before him in a very long time. This lead to them to proclaiming him the Prince Fey in honor of their most respected founder as Morgan was held in much higher regard in Noctiluca then even Merlin. Something like how Godric Gryffindor was held in more respect then the greater Salazar Slytherin but here the greater Morgan was held in the regard she deserved while the more commonly hailed Merlin was not.

Somehow about a week after everyone had started to just call him Prince Fey instead of by his name (annoying really as they refused to call him by anything else) his group had been given a nickname as well. It was well known that Harry was the one keeping his year mates in such a tight knit group and as a result they were all dubbed the Court of Fey.

Harry wasn't a prodigy for no reason, he topped every class without fail and as so intelligent it sometimes frightened the ones around him. It was because he was so scarily clever that his 'Court' in effect was also the brightest year so far when it came to scores. Harry made sure that no one in his little group fell behind in anything and understood it better then most.

Maddy was a welcome addition and fell in place in his life quicker then most would have believed. Three weeks had gone by since Harry had first meet her and already he found himself becoming much to relaxed around her. She always held him right before he was to leave to go to bed for the night, always hugging him tight until he eventually came to anticipate the night.

He was far more relaxed in her hold then he had ever believed he could be when in contact with another person. It helped that Maddy was patient, just holding him until he relaxed then letting him go a while later. He was relaxing more quickly now and had even started to lean into her touch at times reveling in her encompassing motherly love.

The truth of the matter was Harry was starved of touch in his self-imposed isolation and inside he was constantly warring with himself about his need for it. He feared touch and intimacy yet something in him craved it also making every day where he faced these temptations difficult.

Tom approved of using Madeline to ward off any would be suitors but Harry refrained from telling him about his desire for her company. Tom was very much like him he would see it as a weakness and he never shared his weaknesses with anyone not even this fictional character.

He did find himself writing in the diary less and less as he began to use his time with Maddy to relieve the stress of the day. He never discussed anything like he did with Tom; in fact he hardly talked but something about her open sarcasm put him at ease after a long day.

However, he never stopped writing in the dairy though as Tom was a fascinating character that challenged him at every turn whether in their verbal spars or various competitions to see who has the superior intelligence there was no substitute for Tom. There were drawbacks to this increase in social activities to climb in the public estimation though, lack of alone time mattered most to him.

Harry had always been a solitary creature stemming from his lengthy imprisonment in the dark cramped cupboard under the stairs with no company beside the darkness and spiders. Six years of isolation and beatings did nothing for his anti-social attitude his acting skills were what kept him in such high regard now.

Perhaps that is why he was so confused on how to handle emotion in other capacities besides suppression. He had read in a psychology book once that the early years of development are the time in which the child is taught how to express their emotions through the standards of their caregivers.

The Dursleys' did not care enough for him to see this and when they forced him to behave as if he did not exist it left an impact not only on his life, but also his very being. Subconsciously Harry still had the mindset were he was not to exist, that he was suppose to remain invisible and that he was beyond filth…below scum…a…freak. It showed in his personality, he did not liked to be touch because it confirmed his existence and tainted the one touching him.

Harry refused to talk more the absolutely necessary because he was suppose to be invisible to the ones around him. He feared intimacy in all forms because he expected it to be taken away so that he would be hurt for daring to do such a thing. Harry had a deep well within him filled with his suppressed emotions and entrenched hatred.

Harry was frighteningly mature and intelligent 'cause it was what was needed to survive. Had he grown up in even a slightly less hostile environment his intelligence while still great would lack the cold calculating edge allowing him to see things as they really were.

Hatred was what drove him, gave him purpose and a goal. It was hatred that pushed him to kill muggles, hatred that enticed him to plot revenge on his foolhardy family and it was hatred that he turned to when he could not make sense of his life anymore.

Love was something he could not understand since he was so submersed in hatred he could not make sense of so foreign a concept. Harry had never FELT love toward another being, fondness yes, Love not even in the slightest. He could grasp the concept through his observations but could not fully understand what his jaded heart tried to weakly tell him.

To him love was stupidity on its highest level, love made you vulnerable, love made you weak, it was love that made a fool out of you. He could not understand willingly putting himself into someone else hands and trusting them enough not to shatter you, another thing that was marked by the Dursleys'.

Harry had witnessed heartache on a few faces, seen the devastation it cause and saw how much it was physically painful to have your heart broken. He avoided relationships on this basis, it didn't even matter what type, as he was adverse to all of them: friendship, love, and family. Harry never wanted to feel the hurt of them leaving, if he was cold…if he was distant it was easier to let them walk away.

Harry never meant to get into anything so intimate as a relationship with Simon as he feared love so and hence his hasty retreat into the safe zone Madeline. Tom was very good company but he couldn't stave off Simon and his persistent courting (even though secretly he really wish Tom could).

The point was Harry was very used to spending most of his time alone so being the constant center of attention wore on him relentlessly. Until about four months into the school year he had enough and snuck out of the castle at night to spend an evening alone at last.

The forests of Avalon were more beautiful then words could ever hope to describe at night with the thinning moon casting its fluorescent light on the giant trees. At first he just walked enjoying the silence and the alone time (without even his two constant companions Tink and Grace).

However, when he came to a clearing in the thick of the woods that was filled to the brim with moonflowers blossoming under the white rays and lit up with so many fireflies they looked like stars he could not help himself. Harry had learned to play many instruments, piano, guitar, flute, harp, but the violin was his favorite.

So in this spotlighted clearing it looked like a stage waiting for him to step upon it, which he did whilst summoning his violin from his hand. The white violin matched the scene perfectly and Harry himself was glowing ethereal in the moonlight making him the picture of dark perfection. Slowly he began to play, softly at first and then picking up-tempo as the song progressed.

It was a sorrowful tune filled with anguish, regret, and a hint of anger…it was the most beautiful thing anyone could have ever heard. It was when he played that all the emotions Harry had stored up and seal away inside himself was given leave to express through his haunting melody.

He played and played long and hard to express the hidden torment inside of his soul that cried out for love while the rest of him refused to give in to such a thing. It was his playing that drew the ancient being to him, the lamenting chords that sung through the air better then any siren's song captivated him enough to draw him near.

He was so old many couldn't even guess how old he had been before the change, however none of this showed on him. His face was perfectly shaped, high cheekbones, strong sharp chin, porcelain skin, short wild ebony hair and the coldest amber eyes. His shoulders were broad; he was tall at six foot, slim, well muscled and graceful as a feline. He looked like the picture of a aristocratic roguishly handsome man.

His name was Alucard (Al-oo-card) one of the first vampire elites of the world few could match him in power and appeal. Currently a boy playing into the night of darkness that he was so intimately familiar with that he had to pause to listen daring not to interrupt him lest he stop captivating him.

Harry for his part was musing he how lucky it was that the only requirement for the musical spell casting had been to cast through their instruments as he hoped to avoid singing in front of others. He took no notice of his surroundings lost in his own world and the music he brought forth. Gently he started to sway as his tune abandoned all anger that tinged it and instead filled with so much sorrow had anyone else been around to hear it a river of tears would have fallen.

There was no one to hear his mournful lullaby though, only an ancient one with dead amber eyes that embraced his sadness and was enchanted by it. Alucard stood there mesmerized and unable to pull his eyes away from the boy playing there bathed in moonlight. The power he could feel humming under the surface disguised by the fragile vessel this child appeared to be ensnared his senses and awaken in him a hunger that he had long thought forgotten.

The boy played his last notes and suddenly it was as if he knew he was being watched, his body tensed, his aura flared and his power spiked. His eyes searched the circle of trees trying to find the interloper within the writhing darkness with no success. Alucard had long since become so entrenched in the darkness that it had become a part of him; no being could ever to distinguish him under the cloak of night's blackness for there was no difference.

Still the boy tried to search him out and slowly, his stance changed, his aura shifted and his magic withdrew. It was as if he knew exactly what was out there this night watching him and he knew no fear of it. Now that made him curious, made him want to know this boy who did not fear the dark as almost every other being did to some degree.

So, he stepped out into the moonlight night studying his face and awaiting his reaction to him with more then a little relish. Harry turned swiftly when the air around him shifted and the one that had been watching him revealed himself to his eyes. The man was a dark, dangerous, beauty; tall and dressed in blood red he was a mystery to him.

He had on a long crimson trench coat with matching hat, clear amber sunglasses, stark white gloves with a symbol etched on the top that he could not discern, and a sharp fashionable old English suit. For all things considered he appeared to be just a roguishly handsome man with an odd taste in clothes BUT Harry knew better.

The four years he had spent feeding Alex did not leave him blind to the subtle differences in the vampric races' presence and so he knew exactly what this man really was. Similarly he knew this man was very old even though he appeared to be no more then twenty Harry's experience with the staff of Noctiluca had given him enough practice to know this vampire was particularly old and powerful.

Yet, he felt no fear for if this man had wanted him as his next meal Harry was quite sure he would be dead right then so instead he only felt a mild fascination. He met the man's dead eyes unwavering something that surprised Alucard immensely as no one had been able to do so in a very long time. Harry allowed for a very small smile as he turned to address his startled guest, "I'll play this one for you." He said while pointing his black reed at him the small-amused smile ever present on his face as he began.

Alucard recognized the tune instantly and his esteem of his man-child grew with each passing stroke of the incredibly difficult song. "The devil's trill" seemed very appropriate at the moment and he smiled feral at the boy's blatant address of his being. The sonata was one of the most difficult and most beautiful violin solo pieces in the world it only fueled his curiosity about the boy who played in the dark.

The tune was fast paced and he could tell the boy loved the challenge of playing it. Soon he was dancing while he played; fast beat like the music and swaying with every cord. He fought going to join him in the dance of the devil's trill, no it wasn't quite right to dance with him that dance tonight.

The beat picked up, hard and unyielding his feet picked up the pace fireflies dancing around him like stars…he was truly beautiful. Faster, faster his hands and feet went playing, dancing the tune of the darkness. Alucard was beyond mesmerized as he watched him play, dance and become one with the night.

He knew the story behind this song, oh yes he knew that one well. It was said that the composer had despaired of making a piece that could shake the very foundations of the world, as such was his dream. In his desperation the man was said to have sold his soul to the devil in order to obtain his dream. He did though; "the Devil's Trill" was one of the hardest most beautiful pieces Alucard has ever had the pleasure to hear.

The song was reaching its peak, the tempo increased the boy was almost floating across the improvised dance floor and the break. The song calmed and the storm of it was over the frenzy of the notes slowed. He swayed slower, hypnotically as the last few notes came and the silence of the night was returning.

As the last well played notes of the fast tune died down the boy turned to face him the previous small smile vanished and a cold mask took its place. "Now, who are you ancient one?" Now after millennia of living there were very few things that surprised Alucard anymore…it made his life dreadfully dull. In the course of one evening this man-child had surprised him **three** times without any intentions to do so and so he was rightly fascinated with him.

"You may call me Alucard little one," he said with a quirk of his lips revealing one very long fang. "Now tell me man-child, what is one such as you doing playing in the darkness of the night? Don't you know such things are hazardous to one's health?" His accent was deep and sultry, definitely not English, Russian mayhap but not likely. However, his teasing tone did not disguise the 'insult' Harry felt his words gave.

"The night and I are old friends _Alucard_ so forgive me if I don't take heed to your generous warning."

"AH, so you also have a love affair with the darkness little one? Would you be so kind as to gift me with my enchanting host's name so that I may know you?" His expression did not change, such an interesting man-child.

"Tristen." Harry said no more and stood there wondering just what this vampire was doing. Alucard grinned, more a bearing of teeth really, as he staked closer to the one who had captivated him this night.

"Well Tristen, you did not answer my question. What is a boy doing playing in the night…even a beautiful night such as this there are certain dangers." He stood not a foot away towering over him and talking in that deep sultry voice. Harry had a thought that had he been a little more inclined to touch he could just reach out to brush his hand against him with ease.

However, Harry did not like intimacy in any form so he did not touch the man, Alucard, that stood before him but he did not back away as he refused to let Alucard think that he feared him. Harry just stood rigidly raising his head to meet the eyes of this powerful ancient vampire lord.

"I find that the night is much more enjoyable then the garish light of day. In the darkness there is a certain comfort of not being seen." Alucard was more then intrigued with this little one, this child of darkness and he knelled so he could face him eye to eye.

"Why do you not fear me little one?" he asked the one question that fascinated him the most at the moment…the child's utter lack of fear. The blank mask that had been firmly on the boy's face slipped for a moment when he asked that question to show his amusement about it. That small quirking of lips forming a tiny smile like the one he first graced him with, the boy really was most fascinating.

"Why would I fear you? Had you wished to kill me I would have been dead a long time ago." Now that was definitely not the answer he had expected, Alucard had half expected him to say he was more then powerful enough to beat him with the typical human arrogance.

"You do not think you could defeat me little wizard?"

"I am no fool, one as powerful as yourself should know your limits and a half-trained wizard would be no match for you I expect." Alucard chuckled a little at that the boy was most entertaining sadly he would have to leave his pleasant company soon in search of his meal tonight.

His glasses slipped just as he had thought that and Harry had caught the telltale tightening of the pupils in his eyes that he too knew that his guest was hungry. "If you require substance I would be willing to supply it provided you agreed not to drain me or turn me that is. Simply would not do to have a seemingly immortal life when I plan to die."

Alucard was taken aback at that, stunned not only at the offer but at the admission of wanting an end where most wish to stall. Death was a necessary part in life, eventually all things die, it was something most humans feared and tried to avoid. This man-child **planned** on it, he dared say he anticipated it from the look in his eye.

_Interesting_ he thought before he replied, "Who am I to deny such a gracious offer?" Harry nodded and summoned his violin back into the tattoo in the palm of his hand. He unbuttoned his stiff coat and his shirt to bear a little of his neck to Alucard (the opposite side from the one Alex usually drank).

Tristen was really such an intriguing creature, and a very beautiful child he had no doubt that he would grow into a devastatingly enchanting man. Harry felt his neck tense as Alucard's teeth gazed his delicate skin preparing himself for the pain of the bite that always came with feeding a vampire.

Alucard almost chuckled in amusement when he felt his neck tense with his light grazing of his fangs that is until he smell the fletching that had sampled this feast before him. So that was why Tristen had no fear of him, he fed a fletching vampire…a very young one at that. This would be a novelty then, Tristen was very used to the pain of untrained feeding by the looks of it.

He felt the slight pop of the fragile skin as his fangs pierced through and blood rushed into his mouth. It was divine, nectar of the gods, it was beauty, it was sweet, it was spicy…it was POWER and the most exquisite blood he had tasted in a very long time. He felt like he was young again taking his first sips of the crimson liquid and discovering the world of darkness once more.

Harry for his part didn't know what was going on; there was no pain as Alucard suckled from his neck. He bit back a moan when Alucard drew him into his arms to allow him a better angle on his neck applying more pressure and when he bit down harder he did moan.

Alucard smiled feral against his neck as he drank deep enjoying the feel of the little one's power tingling on his tongue…it was more then divine. A vampire could become addicted to this; the little one's blood was like a drug he wanted more and more. However, eventually he stopped grinning when he heard the boy groan in protest and darting out his long sharp tongue to lap up any left over blood on his neck (closing the twin holes at the same time).

Alucard decided then that he very much liked this boy and wanted to continue to sample him. Maybe even claim him when he was old enough as his blood was just too luscious to only taste once, he would need him again. "Well, that was different…" Harry said in his daze not even noticing he was still in Alucard's arms.

"Indeed, we will meet again child I should very much like to get to know you…" and just like that he was gone the blackness of the night swallowing him up. Harry turned hazy eyes to the moon and the stars idly wondering how trouble always seemed to find him.

He was almost positive an ancient vampire had just molested him but he couldn't bring himself to care…he felt good. His entire body sang with the humming of the night, he felt like he was high on some muggle drug and it felt amazing. He let out a breath and just like that a light went on inside his mind as another idea came to him to add to his already complicated mark.

He smirked, it was an interesting night this Alucard could prove to be a very powerful ally when the time came to do what was needed. One as ancient as him did not go through the years without making plenty of contacts and alliances. He made it back to his room without any problems and took a blood-replenishing potion before settling down for the night.

The year was going to be very interesting, and his summer would be rather eventful he wondered how Maddy wanted to spend it.

**If you want to listen to how the "Devil's Trill" was meant to be played I suggest looking up Vanessa Mae she plays the most captivating rendition. **


	7. Lovely, Dark and Deep

Harry looked out across the forest one last time before boarding the awaiting boat with Maddy

**I thought I'd take the time to thank the reviewers that made my day! Lady Firefox Love you P you made my day, Lore or mess I'll try harder lol, Arcana Mortaliatas, Zoisyte, Saya01, Oh My Kai, Leeannpitbull, writerlover101, ****Jgooullieyette, JokEr06, and Limericks you made my day! Thanks for all your reviews! **

**Chapter seven: **

"**Lovely, Dark and Deep." **

Harry looked out across the forest one last time before boarding the awaiting boat with Maddy. No matter how many times he left this place it was always like leaving home and it made him very uncomfortable how attached to Avalon he had gotten. It was of no consequence at the moment though and there were more important things to attend to.

This year had been the busiest yet, between Occlumency, potions, Morgan, building alliances and all his side projects he had very little time to unwind. Alucard visited every so often during the year and Harry had gotten to know the Ancient somewhat. Alucard was very intriguing, he always had something more to him and their game of wits often exhilarated him as previously only Tom had.

Now with summer Harry found himself with a lot of time on his hands to finish up a few of his side projects while finalizing the adoption in America with Madeline. She had already taken the liberty of changing his name from Harry Potter to Tristen Winter and he felt more secure knowing that soon he would be out of his 'parents' reach forever.

They'd spend the first month in America after the adoption was put to rest and would be touring the country while they were there. Then after 'seeing the sights' that the US had to offer they would move onto Europe starting in France and working there way around the last two months. Maddy had even said should they find a suitable place they'd buy their first house but until then they would use their magical tents.

Harry had gotten his journeyman in potions three months ago and expected he would get his masters in it by the end of summer should all go well. The boat took them just outside Avalon's boundaries before Madeline pulled him into her arms and activated the portkey that would take them to the U.S.

They arrived in Washington a moment later and four hours back due to the time change. They had left when it was five p.m. at Avalon and here it was now just barely noon, it was slightly unsettling to Harry who had been looking forward to the night. Not that it mattered much anyway as they would need the extra time to prepare.

Madeline lead Harry to a good camping ground about three hours out of the city and hidden from Muggles through various charms. They set up their tents deciding against sharing one for privacy's sake, even though they were wizarding tents both loved solitude enough to want their own tent.

While Madeline went to the courthouse to get everything finalized, Harry went off to pick up one last thing to help him with his research. The city was big and bustling when he arrived, no one paid anyone else any mind and it was a prefect hunting ground.

During the year Harry could suppress the **urges** fairly well by repeatedly telling himself that he was surrounded by Magic and these wielders didn't deserve his punishments. However, now that he was out amongst the _muggles_ he let go of his restrains to finally give in to that heady darkness within him.

His victims had to be right though, not just anyone could curve that particular appetite and so he search looking for the **one** that needed it the most. The dark magic swirled within him, excited, at the thought of bloodshed. But it needed to be prefect, not just anyone would do as he very well knew and so the hunt was on.

There were so many faces, so many horrible muggles he just didn't know where to start and so he just let his bloodlust guide him to where it needed to be. Eventually he arrived in a suburbia filled with neat little houses, grass perfectly cut and everything had it's own perfectly neat place. Every house looked the same, down to the car in the driveway and the silly little mailboxes.

Everything had its place but him; he hated it instantly, it reminded him of his prison, his house of torment…and it was the perfect hunting ground. Harry decided he needed more then one this time, after all, he didn't knew when he'd get another chance to hunt. He stalked the street, no one paying him much mind as he was focused solely on not being seen.

There was nothing for the first hour, just foolish little kids, dotty old people and nosy house wives, he almost moved on in his hunt. Then the car pulled up in front of him and a man stepped out to greet his family, who had been playing in the front yard. He was prefect, just what Harry needed, and this one would sate him for a little while at least.

He was a pudgy man, blonde, with watery blue eyes and a squashed nose that made his round face so pig-like Harry have expected him to squeal any moment. He reminded Harry of another pig-man, enough so that he hated him, that he felt his blood boil and magic reach out to hurt. He reeled himself in at the last moment, not the time to lose one's head after all, not when there was killing to be done.

Disgusting muggles, no one would miss them, they were like roaches, multiplying and filling the world with their revolting trash. That was why he hated them, hated their narrow minds and simple ways, he hated their very existence. Pushing that all away from him right then he waited for them to go into the house before following them inside.

The wife went into the kitchen, the kid plopped down in front of the TV and the man went upstairs with Harry following at his heels. One silent _Imperio_ later and the man was saying he had forgotten something at work, climbing into his car and driving to the end of the block to wait for Harry. He had a hunt to finish, he couldn't leave this half done and he needed more test subjects, so his search went on.

Another man came home; he was tall, brunet, with a square jaw and sparkling brown eyes. He greeted his wife warmly (a bleach blonde) they looked like a young couple and Harry very much doubted they even had children quite yet. He was also prefect, and just as easy to ensnare. This one he sent on a jog after he'd been Imperioed and into the waiting man's car.

And yet, Harry still wasn't satisfied, there was someone missing and he needed just one more he was sure so he could get to bloodshed done properly. Ah, there, just the one he'd been looking for and right on time too, how courteous of him. This man was single; he had strawberry blond hair, a smart suit on, a handsome face ruined by a crooked nose and bloodshot hazel eyes.

His one he sent to the car also and he felt satisfied, finally, with his catches, as he was sure they would provide him with plenty of research materials. Once he had gotten them all settled in the car staring blankly ahead, and taken his seat in the back, he sent to first one off driving to his campsite.

Madeline wasn't back yet when he finally got back, which was a great thing as he was sure he would have a hard time explaining banishing a car and bringing home three muggles. As it was he didn't have to as she was tided up filling out the seemingly endless forms concerned with adopting a child and gaining duel citizenships.

He directed the muggles to follow him into his tent and into one of the secret rooms in the back that was protected by layers and layers of wards/silencing charms. They each got their own room, of course, he wouldn't want to be rude and they would probably take comfort in not being alone, he couldn't have that now could he?

Each of their rooms had various enchantments that would keep them in and everyone else out (except him of course). They were then strapped to the metal exam tables he had stolen from a medical school last year (and modified to keep live specimens on). No one would ever be able to hear them in here, no one would hear them scream but him, and it was really invigorating.

Once he had them squared away and strapped down he canceled the Imperio so that they would know fear before the day was done. The pudgy man was first, he decided, so he vanished all the man's clothes (except his boxers) and waited for the guy's eyes to clear before he began.

The man blinked around dazedly for a moment, not really understanding but when he did, that was when the screaming started. Music to Harry's ears really, but soon it got annoying so he cast a silencing spell before starting to prepare this experiment.

He got his notebook ready, with his own invented thought-taking quill (it wrote what he thought down so he didn't have to talk) and his various medical supplies. A cursory glance over the subject and one diagnostic spell later found that he hadn't been exposed to any magic before then. It was like fate had handed him the perfect specimen on a platter, sighing wistfully he got to work.

"_Cruico!"_ he cast the spell quickly, reveling in it's dark power and enjoying the look on the man's face. He held him under it for an hour and then stopped to study the results. His eyes were blank, drool pooled down the side of his mouth, and he was completely unresponsive to any stimuli.

Working quickly Harry skinned the man's arms and placed a stasis spell on it so he wouldn't bleed to death. Harry studied the nerve damage the spell had wrought, all the while taking precise notes in the floating notebook. He took out his first vial of his preliminary potion and poured a few drops on the shriveled fried nerves.

At first nothing happened, then the arm pulsed and every nerve that had been exposed to the potion came back to life. He watched the man's face, he was screaming in silent agony, and then the pieces of nerve melted. It seemed he had gotten the nerves to revamp but the potion was too powerful resulting in an overheating the receivers on the nerves ending with this molten mess.

Intriguing discovery, the potion was almost useable, he quickly jotted down the ingredients in that one to track, which had brought about the partial success. Then he moved on to his next testing vial, pouring this one over the man skinned hand, instead of the arm, to insure to potions didn't mix.

The entire hand twitched, he could see the shriveled nerves jerking and the electrical pulses firing. However, they did not repair themselves as the last batch had and as a result the nerves snapped, peeling off the remains of the hand. This potion got the nerves firing, making them continue the message relay but the damaged tissue was to worn to hold up.

Again he listed this one's ingredients and moved onto the next in the line of potions. If he managed to find the right combination, Harry could indeed cure the effects of the Cruico had on the body. This would be his mastery if he could get the ingredients just right.

Not that he intended to make his discoveries public, this was just one of many ventures in his quest to do the impossible. If he could find a permeate way to beat the Unforgivables he would never be vulnerable to their attacks. Something that had interested him since he learned he had supposedly survived the one unbeatable killing curse; which should have spelled his death.

He continued his experiment on the man for another two hours before calling it a day on that experiment and going in search of Madeline. She was inside her tent taking notes from a rather large tome on Alchemy when he found her and it didn't really surprise him.

"How did the adoption go, smoothly?"

"We hit a snag when it was discovered I don't have a stable residence as of now. However, I am acquainted with the social services director's daughter and her father helped the process along. So as of now you are officially my son." She said all this not once glancing up from her note taking.

"So what now?"

"I go back tomorrow to finish up the paperwork on our duel citizenships and then we leave to tour the world." She said this with an amused note. "Oh, and I wanted to let you know that my Master in Alchemy is willing to take you on should you wish to pursue it. I'm almost done with my mastery, after all, and I told him you were a decent student. Not another fucking retard that thinks Alchemy equals easy money."

Harry blinked not really knowing what to say. Maddy didn't give out compliments often and a decent student in her books was what most would call prodigies, so that was a fairly flattering review. However… "I don't think I will go into Alchemy right after my potion mastery, I was thinking of Apprenticing under one of the school's Spell-creation masters."

That was one thing Harry very much admired about Noctiluca it always had a few Masters of each craft on staff to tutor students if they showed enough skill. It was very hard to gain a Master's attention but once you had it you were mostly guaranteed at least a journeyman, if you committed.

It also was very convent that being an apprentice meant you didn't need O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s to become a Master (a loophole he was very interested in). Harry had enough of a reputation of being a highly gifted student in an already gifted school so gaining the Masters attentions was somewhat easier then most.

Madeline was an Oddity among the Masters as she wasn't even a graduate and she had never taken an apprentice before him. It made Harry wonder whom she was studying Alchemy under, as she had never said whom her Master was. "Who is your Master anyway?"

"Huh, oh, Nicolas Flamel, the craziest old man you'll ever meet! Just the other year he was telling me how he tricked Dumbledore into thinking he had given the old coot Headmaster his Philosopher Stone. Flamel is one of Noctiluca's most famous students…though everyone thinks he went to Hogwarts. How anyone could think such a brilliant man came from such a backwater school is a wonder to me! It's really unbelievable!"

"Yes, Hogwarts is a bit lacking when it comes to education; though you can't really expect everyone to have the intelligence and power to attend a school like ours."

"Very true, though that's not to say we don't have our own blundering idiots they're just a little more intelligent then them. Besides if you can't make it at Noctiluca they can always drop out and be extraordinary at one of those mediocre schools. Our drop outs need somewhere to go after all." She said coyly with not just a little disdain.

Harry never told her anything specific about what had been done to him by those filthy muggles but she did know whom to blame. That dim-witted family of his that had abandoned him to the muggles' cruelty had come from Hogwarts and it was a wonder her esteem for that whole lot hadn't fallen below scum level.

She wasn't blind she knew that what had happened to Harry had scarred him in more ways then one and she could see it in his eyes. Even now in their coy banter his eyes remained just as cold and dead as the first time she had laid eyes on them. Madeline assumed that Harry thought he had her fooled as the rest of his band of followers but she knew what lay beyond that calm mask of his.

There was a rage in him, a brokenness that frightened her on an almost primal level. So she turned a blind eye to Harry's experiments, and didn't say a word when she could smell the blood on him even when she couldn't see it. Harry was her child now, and no matter what came her way she would protect him like she had wished someone had protected her.

Harry hated to admit it but Madeline knew he needed her, needed her to hug him when everyone else was too cautious to do so. All the people Harry surrounded himself with never touched him as they did not wish to upset him and wanted nothing more then to please him. But Harry was starved for touch, just as she had been, starved for positive touch.

Madeline did not want Harry to fall into the same traps as she did when he eventually sought out the company of another. She had been blinded by her need for it when she had been younger and it had made Kade's job all that easier. She would not let that happen to him and she had taken the steps to see that it never would.

She got up from her work then and embraced him, just as before he was stiff for the first few minute before she started to feel him relax. Simon had been an option for a companion but he had pushed too much to early killing any chance he could have had with her baby. Harry needed someone patient and utterly devoted to him to help heal his pain, even just a little bit.

Madeline had looked through all the possible candidates in his little group and had only found one with enough promise to work. Leon was the only one she could ever see helping her baby get through whatever fear he had of being close to anyone. He was kind, fiercely loyal, loving (in his own gruff way) and had already laid the groundwork for a good relationship.

She could also see Leon cared a great deal for Harry not just for he saved his life, but because Harry had shown a weakness to Leon in order to do so. Leon would care for her baby just the way he needed to move on a little bit with his life and let go of a little bit of that pain.

Madeline just prayed this whole thing did not backfire on her because her baby needed help with this and she couldn't do it on her own.

The next few days past quickly, Madeline got the paperwork finish on the adoption/duel citizenship finished relatively quickly and they had made their way out onto the world. The traveled from the east to west, visiting landmarks, wizarding towns, magical forests (to gather potion ingredients of course), and many other place on their way across America.

Harry was working diligently the entire time, mastering Occlumency, doing his research, and studying Mermish under Madeline after discovering she knew the language. He had always been a linguist enthusiast and learning a magical language appealed a great deal to him (and reminded him to ask Simon to teach him elvish).

Between it all Harry hadn't found the time to write his 'friends' so it cam as a surprise when he got a letter from Leon only two weeks after the end of term. Harry usually kept up correspondence with his entire group but he usually waited until three weeks in to begin writing. Even then his letters usually went the way his conversation where everything was about them and nothing of importance was mentioned about himself.

Madeline was pleased that Leon had taken her hints to heart and had started to write her son now, this way he'd get a jump on the others. It also established that he wanted to be around Harry more then the others and in doing so Harry would give him the attention he wanted accordingly. It was one of the things she had begun to love about Harry; he was such a selfless child, whatever his friends wanted Harry went out of his way to achieve.

It was this that worried her though, because she also saw that it was a tactic used to distance himself from them on even a most base level. Harry needed companionship, real companionship, he hid it well but she could still see how lonely her baby was…and how sad. He could hide this from everyone but her simply because she knew that look in his eyes when she held him. Her hugging sessions were one of the only times that Madeline ever saw Harry vulnerable enough to let emotion flicker in his eyes.

Since she had also felt that gnawing loneliness and consuming sadness Madeline had no trouble seeing through Harry's guarded looks. Madeline was probably the only one who knew on some level just how desperate Harry was for true companionship without ever having been told. It scared her to no end, she knew where that loneliness could lead and never wanted something like that to happen to Harry.

Madeline had been shunned at the muggle orphanage growing up; she was a weirdo, an outcast, and the punching bag. No one really cared what happened to her then as she had no friends and no one wanted to be around her long enough to develop feeling for her. So in the absence of friends she had turned to books, more accurately fairy tales and in that had laid her salvation.

It had been in a flight of fancy she had tried to do a spell that had been performed in one of her books and lead to her discovery of witchcraft. Madeline had always been smarter then average so it hadn't taken her long to begin to teach herself how to control her gift. Fire had come the easiest to her; even now with a snap of her fingers she could create a flame in the palm of her hand.

Not that she had anywhere near the level of a fire elemental but she did have an affinity for it which came in very handy during long potion making sessions. It wasn't that much of a surprise when Professor Flamel came to invite her to Noctiluca and in doing so ended her torture among the muggles.

They had not been kind to her, beatings having been the least of her worries with the looks she had gotten from her 'caretaker' luckily her ability with fire had saved her from that fate. She too had been starved for touch but as she had no developed social skills it was hard for her to make friends.

So she had found comfort in her books, in her studies and became the youngest Potion mistress in seven hundred years. It was no wonder that when she caught Kade's eye she had no defense against him and could not see through his lies. They had begun to date her fifth year and he had been so perfectly charming she could not deny him anything. Kade had become her world, her first friend, her first boyfriend and her first lover…she could not see past him.

She was blind to any of his faults and he had been perfection in her eyes. It wasn't surprising to find that she had fallen in love with him, hard and fast. About a year in it all went sour, he was domineering and controlled every aspect of her life. She hadn't wanted to have sex until she felt she was ready, Kade expected differently and eventually she had given in.

Kade was a few years older then her and two years her senior in classes, he was perfectly handsome, stunning really and could charm the pants off a nun. He was really playful at times, playing pranks (mean-spirited ones, that, she found out later), and always the center of attention at a party.

He was the prefect man (at least he lead the girls to believe that) and so he needed the prefect girlfriend for his arm. Madeline had been pretty enough that she could be with him without drawing attention away from his devilishly good looks, smart enough to help him with his school work and gullible enough to listen to his every word.

He told her how to dress, how much she was allowed to eat, how much she was allowed to excel and how to act the exact way he wanted her to behave. It had been a subtle process and he had put a lot of effort into manipulating her that Madeline had never suspected a thing. He had been so gentle, said all the right things, held her so close and romanced her to the point that she was blinded by her love for him.

She had listened to his lies, lived as he directed and done everything he asked of her. She became the perfect puppet and along the way of gaining the love she had always craved she had lost herself to him. Kade had seen how lonely she had been, seen how much she had desired love and like a hawk circling its dying prey he had struck swift and true. She hadn't stood a snowball's chance in hell.

Madeline had lost herself to him that first year giving her heart, her soul and even her virginity to a man that just wished to use her. Even after he had started to verbally abuse her, she could not be swayed from her love from him and even the occasional slap didn't open her eyes. Madeline had fallen in love; it had taken over her so completely she couldn't turn away from it no matter what Kade did to her.

It wasn't like she knew any better to begin with as she had always been treated poorly and so couldn't see how unhealthy it really was. Some part of her had believed she deserved it the part that had been stamped by years of abuse and emotional hell. It wasn't like she knew any better then accept it at face value after all how was she to know that this wasn't the normal way relationships went.

It had been by chance that she had stumbled upon him during one of his many liaisons with a girl and it had shattered her world, broke her heart and set her free. It was the anger springing from witnessing his betrayal that had snapped something inside of her. Madeline had been strong once and he had all but beaten that out of her in those three years. It was in seeing that betrayal that had given her the strength to get herself back, to finally stand up for herself and put Kade in his place.

It had shattered her heart, she had cried for days after, but she still she had, somehow, managed to slap him and break up with him dry eyed (at the time). Kade still refused to let her be, always lurking in the shadows somewhere but she was just glad it had been his last year.

And so after breaking it off with him at the beginning of eighth year she had set out to find herself, to discover the girl she had lost to him. Her journeyman in alchemy came, her blooming of strong friendships with others, and then her Tristen (or Harry) came along. It is a scary thing love, and she had lost herself to it so fully once it had broken every part of her, all, for that loneliness.

She refused to let Tristen fall into that trap and lose himself in the quest for that love, which was buried deep in every orphan no matter how cold they might seem. Harry was almost at that age she had been when she had given herself up for the lies a boy had been all to willing to spin. That was why she needed to protect him even if it meant pushing Leon on him she would do so to keep him from hurt.

That had been part of the reason she had been so protective of him when they had first met and had kept that Simon boy away from him. Madeline could see so much of herself in Harry that she tried so very hard to keep him from going down the same path.

Kade had done a lot of damage, in breaking her to be the perfect puppet, in breaking her heart by betraying her to sleep with another and in spinning those lies on how worthless she was, he had damaged Madeline. Maybe that was why she was so quick to protect Harry; maybe that was why she felt so much love for him. Whatever it was that drove her Madeline knew she never wanted to see Harry go through what she had.

Harry for the most part was just surprised that Leon had taken the intuitive to contact him first and responded in kind writing him a letter immediately. It wasn't anything in depth, just some non-sequential questions and responds mainly just feeling each other's mood out. As with most of his writing Harry had to read between the lines to get the real meaning behind Leon's words.

It appeared Leon was very lonely without his brother, still missing him terribly along with the rest of his family. However, the oppressive mourning had gotten to him and he wished for someplace to go to escape it. Having no place to live as of the moment Harry couldn't offer him refuge yet but he did extend his invite to camp with him at a later date.

He did get the feeling that Leon would be contacting him more frequently this summer then the last, not that he really was bother by it as Leon was the most agreeable in his group. Leon was more quiet and content to just stand by him, not like the others who needed his constant attention.

Harry really did like his company, especially on nights when his nightmares drove him to the common room and the silence of the night became oppressing. Leon had somehow always knew when to find him there, and thought it caused his paranoia to go haywire at times Harry did appreciate the company.

The summer flew by they visited most of America before heading to explore Europe and its wonders. Harry had managed to pick up seven good test subjects along the way and his studies were going very nicely. The potion counter to the Cruico had yet to be found but he did make some impressive healing droughts that were very potent.

The problem lay not in the physical damage of the spell, he had solved that part already, no the trouble came with the psychiatric damages the torture spell had on the brain's impulses. Harry could fix the nerve endings fairly well (at least they weren't melting anymore) but in finding a way to correct the misfiring of the brain cells he had yet obtain.

In fact he had gone through five different men just to find out where he went wrong in the potion that had caused their brains to melt down while fixing the nerve endings. On his other side projects he was doing very well, he had gotten most of his mark completed now all that was left was to find a way to bind all its attributes together. On Occlumency he was just a hair's breath away from mastery mostly because he had already had an unknowingly good grasp on it for years.

Mermish had been surprisingly easy to master but Harry attributed that to his already knowing several languages as an accomplished linguist (i.e. Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, Egyptian, German, Parseltongue and now Mermish). He wanted to speak to Simon and Ophelia about learning Elvish when he returned to school the coming year.

He was doing very well on his multiple little side projects and he hoped to make a break through on his biggest project soon even if it was unlikely. After speaking to Madeline he had managed to get enrolled in an independent muggle study program in hopes of making more strides in his medical knowledge. He would be doing to work through the mail and had managed to swallow his disgust of the muggles long enough to charm the receptionist into signing off the form so he could gain access to higher level books.

This summer had by far been the most productive for him and had the added bonus of Madeline for company. Harry suspected she knew of his experiments but as she showed no signs of stopping him he had taken it as a signal to go ahead. He was secretly very pleased that they were heading for Europe soon as most of his group was spread about that continent.

Alex lived in Rome with his Clan, Simon lived in France somewhere (it was unplottable apparently), Gabriel lived on the borders of France, Logan lived with his pride in Italy, Leon lived in Spain, Cleo lived in Russia and Ophelia lived in Romania. The twins lived in Egypt and they'd be going there next summer if they didn't go this summer.

The last two thirds of the summer holidays were spent exploring Europe and continuing experiments. He did manage to visit each of the members of his little group for a day when they were in that part of the world. Leon managed to draw out his time for a week, simply because he had expressed the need for Harry's presence so Harry complied.

Harry still had that quirk where he did everything in his means to make sure the people under him were happy and they loved him for it. Cleo was convinced that she was only beautiful thanks to Harry's extensive spa treatments, Ophelia held his opinion above even her own and wasn't satisfied unless Harry commented on whatever she was doing.

The Twins were convinced no one else would ever be able to see them as their own person besides Harry and treated him as a precious treasure. Gabriel loved him for his 'kindness' and never went against him in anything. Alex had become obsessed with pleasing him in any way he could, a possible side effect from allowing him to feed off of him.

Logan was never as calm in his wolf form as when Harry was around and had confessed to Harry that it was probably because his inner beast saw him as his Alpha. (Something that had embarrassed him to no end as Harry was very small but had an undeniable aura of authority.) Simon was still pinning after him even with his arranged marriage hanging over his head and did everything in his power to see Harry give that hint of a smile again (as he hadn't since he had mentioned emancipation).

Leon was most likely his closest follower and was fiercely protective of him. Leon even went out of his way to make sure that he was there whenever Harry needed someone (which is why he had put a detection ward on the common room). In all when Harry had set out to make himself a close-knit group of loyal allies he accomplished his goal spectacularly. Any one of them would gladly lay down their lives for him and would do anything if only to see him smile.

Each of them knew something had happened to their leader at some point in his life, something that had turned him so very cold to others and still they loved him all the more for his 'kindness'. They all had gladly acknowledged long ago that they were willing to follow wherever Harry choose to lead…even to the very pits of hell.

Harry had been careful in his manipulating their views on the muggle existence, careful to plant just the right seeds at the right times but he would have never suspected that they would follow him even if they had their doubts. Harry's own little hints at his true objective, 'cleansing humanity', had given them enough to know whatever had twisted him could be laid at the feet of Muggles. The anger and hate that had come as each uncovered these clues on their own surprised them.

None in the group ever voiced their suspicions to any others (twins excluded of course as they shared all) and each felt growing hatred as more hints where made. Alex was quite sure that it had been Muggles that had scarred Harry and had grown to despise them deeply for marking such beauty. Simon hated them more then the rest because he had seen the extensive damage that the Muggles had done. He hated them so much he vowed never to show any mercy to any Muggle that crossed his path (love could do that to you).

As each year passed the members of Harry's court grew ever more loyal to their cold, kind, and fierce leader. Harry, of course, had no clue to how very loyal they were because it was done with such a depth of emotion it was beyond Harry's understanding. Harry could no more understand emotion then he could express it, totally stoic in every way in public and most of the time in private.

Having grown up without learning how to express himself and so Harry could never truly understand the depth of their love. He hadn't known love long enough to know the feel of it, how deep it runs or how far it could drive someone. Love was as foreign to him as air was to a fish, he knew hate not love and he was ill equipped to judge just how loyal his group had become.

Harry spent most of his summer exploring the world with Madeline, gathering potion supplies, learning, continuing his experiments and cultivating his standing in his circle of allies. It was about a week before the beginning of the next school year that they had finally managed to find a house in which to live.

It was about thirty minutes out of Ipswich a small cottage with three bedrooms and one bathroom. They bought it relatively cheap off by muggles and then had proceeded to purge it of anything non-magical. Soon it had seven magically expanded rooms, a library, three baths, a potions lab, a dueling room and a music room. They had also place various wards around the property and it just took an hour of tinkering to make their two acres 'disappear' off the face to the earth.

Harry rather liked it as he could add as many ward as he wanted to his room and they were pretty much cut off from everyone there. It was a great base of operations as it was below the MoM's radar, away from muggles and close to Avalon's ports (which only could be located by someone who knew where they were).

He was able to resume his experiments soon after they had completed the work on the house and was well on his way to discovering the counter to the Cruico spell. However, Harry had long ago decided to present one of his very potent healing potions as his Masterpiece in order to gain his mastery in potions. It would solve one of the biggest problems wizarding healers had when regrowing lost limbs.

When the healers used magic to regrow a cursed limb one of the biggest problems is that said limb had trouble functioning normally and sometimes it was even rejected from the body. Hence why most seasoned Aurors had what one could say a 'mutilated' body (Mad-eye being the most promenade example). The problem lay not in the limb but in the nerves that relayed the neural impulses that controlled the limb.

The regrown limbs had hardly any functioning nerves ready to operate and so the body can't use it properly. Often times the body saw this new limb as a foreign entity and attacked it to reject it from the body. His potion would heal grievous wounds quickly and grow the nerves needed in the new limbs to function.

It was a medical break through of the age and he was not going to share the recipe if his life depended on it. With him as the sole producer of such a potent potion he was sure that his revenues would grow exponentially. On a side note he finally invented a way to bind his mark and all he needed to do was obtain the materials that would be needed. He was sure that by the end of the first month back at school he would have each of his followers marked and bound to him.

It was two days before the start of the new term when Alucard paid him another visit and it was very surprising that he even found him. It was around midnight Harry had already gotten into bed and was well on his way to sleep when he felt a call, like a craving that drew him to his window.

Standing outside his window was Alucard cloaked in crimson and looking just as forbidding as he had when they first met. He hadn't seen him since school let out but that didn't mean that he hadn't felt him near. Their eyes locked though the single pane of glass that separated them, green clashed with ruby and Harry froze mesmerized by what he saw there.

Not entirely sure what he was doing Harry made his way outside in nothing but his nightshirt, unable to seem to stop his feet from heading to the door. He always moved silently and it came in handy at times especially when he needed to move silently in the night. Madeline was a very light sleeper; he had discovered that when they had moved into their house so he had taken more steps to improve his stealth.

The grass tinkled his bare feet, the slight breeze danced around his bare thighs and the bright moon made his skin glow. Alucard gave him a toothy feral grin when he stepped outside and began to move toward him. Alucard had been craving his little one's sweet blood for a while and his body hummed in anticipation with the coming meal.

When he saw the boy standing there bathed in moonlight clothed in only a long shirt that fell mid thigh he felt the stirrings of possessiveness. In a flash Alucard was before him running a gloved hand on the smooth expanse of Harry's neck to feel the pulse of blood coursing beneath the fragile layer of skin.

The thirst for this little one's blood was really amazing, so full of power it tasted of the world and Alucard couldn't stop himself from returning to Harry. Sampling him was like drinking the finest wine; a guilty pleasure that hits just the right spots to satisfy that craving that hadn't been quenched since he had turned.

He crouched down his fangs lengthening as he came closer to his neck in anticipation, his gloved hands grasping his shoulders as fang pierced flesh. He drank deep the blood was as rich and tantalizing as he remembered, his expert ministrations had the boy moaning.

Once again Harry found himself unable to pull away from this embrace, this vampire's kiss, it was unlike the sort of touch he usually had one that curiously didn't make his skin crawl. It felt good, like Madeline's hugging ritual, but it was different though somehow. Madeline never made him feel like this, never made him forget what it was to be human and bound to suffering.

Alucard made him forget when he feed off him, made him forget the world and the horrors that haunted his every hour. Maybe that was why he never consciously fought against the pull Alucard had on him or against the bond they had formed between them on these feeding sessions.

The ancient Vampire was drowning in the delicious intoxication that was Harry's blood but eventually he forced himself to pull away before he turned his little one. Harry's eye's were glazed and had a far off look to them; one Alucard had gotten used to as he fed from him throughout the year. This small slip of a boy looked so fragile bathed in moonlight wearing only an oversized T-shirt and boxer shorts. However, Alucard was far to old to be deceived by the child's appearance, one taste of his blood was enough to know this boy held a tremendous power within himself.

Harry slowly came back to the world and focused on the gloved hands encompassing his shoulders, which was currently the only part of the older male touching him. It was in that moment he got his first up-close look at the symbol on said gloves; an alchemy circle adorned the back of the glove… an enslaving one.

Harry had spent enough time around Madeline to pick up a few things on Alchemy, how could he not as he spent almost all summer with her. He was no expert on all thousand of circles that Alchemy dealt with but he knew an enslaving one when he saw it. That particular brand he had studied a bit when he was looking up certain things for the marking ceremony he was creating.

The question now was, who had enslaved such a powerful being and why. This whole thought process lasted maybe a second but it was enough to give Alucard pause. "So little one do you normally come when the darkness calls?" his tone was teasing and light. Harry finally focused on the one before him to respond, "Only when I feel it would be beneficial to do so."

"Oh, and pray tell, what could be so tempting that one such as you would brave the presence of a monster to obtain it?"

Harry smirked, "No more a monster than I am."

Alucard's smile was feral, "Oh…I wouldn't say that beautiful one but you didn't answer the question."

"You hair, may I have a strand of it." The no life King blinked for a moment, taken aback by the brazen admission. Of course he knew there were a lot of rituals one could do with a single hair from one such as him but that wasn't what stunned him. No, the fact that the small one would even ask was surprising in and of itself. In all their encounters the boy had never asked for a thing in compensation of freely giving his blood.

So without much thought of the consequences (as usual) he pulled a single strand of ebony hair and gave it to the boy before him. Harry for his part was stunned the ancient one would even think about his request not to mention actually giving it to him. He was so surprised in fact that he couldn't stop a small happy smile from sweeping across his face and the effect was breath taking.

Alucard almost took a step back from the beauty before him; the child's eyes were alight and sparkled. His entire face glowed and he looked every inch the embodiment of goodness and beauty. If Alucard hadn't known better he would have said god had graced the planet with an angel, but he did know better so he just smirked at the face that would draw many into the darkness.

As he focused on the angel before him a curious sight captured his attention, and there, a small silver of something on the boy's neck marring the flesh. His eyes narrowed looking at it and before the boy could process what was happening the vampire had divested him of his shirt and turned him around.

Harry's eyes were froze wide with shock and when it finally hit him that Alucard was currently seeing his taint he cried out falling to his knees to hug himself. Never before had he felt so stripped bare, so exposed, so vulnerable and he hated it more then he thought he could ever hate (which was a lot as his hate ran deeper than the sea at times).

Alucard eyed the damage to his little one with disgust, who could had ever marked something so beautiful with something so ugly? He would tear them a part, rip them to shreds for hurting what he was starting to think of as his. He kneeled down behind the shaking boy and raised his hands to gently caress the numerous scars littering the child's back.

It was not right, one that possessed such power should have never been reduced to this, "Who has hurt you little one?" His voice was gentle and held that hypnotic appeal that was very hard to resist. The boy trembled as his hands slid up and down his back tracing the scars softy. Alucard grasped his shoulders and pulled him back to firmly press him against his chest, "Who?" he bit out firmly.

"Muggles…" came the quiet reply; the boy was shaken and afraid. A cold hate filled him as never before, a hate that was renewed for the first time in centuries. He had hated mankind before, detested there lowly existence but over a time he had come to accept them. He had thought himself past this hate…but he was wrong; whatever the passage of time had done to cool his hatred that one admission from his little one was enough to renew it.

Gently he ran his hands up and down his arms, ghosting his lips over the exposed flesh of the trembling boy to lightly kiss the junction between neck and shoulder. His power coiled inside him begging to be release, but he couldn't turn the boy…at least not yet. A blood bond would have to do so that he would know if anyone dared to lay their filthy hands on him ever again.

In one swift move he slit his wrist and forced it into the boy's mouth before he had time to protest against it. Without any options left Harry suckled on the bleeding wrist residing in his mouth, the warm liquid coated his tongue with the coppery taste and he felt something rise within him.

Eventually Alucard removed his wrist, and gently place the boy on his feet once more. Harry did not look at him and just silently strode back to his room with all the dignity he could muster. Leaving one very confused Vampire in his wake clutching his sleeping, who was promptly engulfed by darkness before he disappeared all together.

--x--

The ceremony for his potions Mastery went as well as he had expected and he passed his test with ease (something that had only been possible with the extensive tutoring Madeline had put him through). The Bellulum Liquidissimus preformed beyond his hopes and the Guild Master Council had jokingly said perhaps he should have just named it 'substitute Phoenix tears'.

He took no small amount of pride in his achievement and looked forward to the next year. Without potions as a mandatory class it opened up his schedule quite a bit and with the extra hours he was sure to fill it up doing something meaningful. Their trip across America, Europe and a bit of Egypt wasn't just for pleasure; they had collected many rare powerful potion ingredients.

Some of which Harry had needed so he could complete his marking ritual and with only a few more items on the list he was sure he'd have his court marked by the end of the first month. It would drain him of a lot of magic, oh; there was no doubt about that but it would be well worth it in the end.

The first day of school passed in a blur of activity for Harry as he had made it a point to be very popular within the school and had many people to greet. In the five years he had attended Noctiluca Harry had gained the reputation of being very cold but kind. It was also known that he was a great listener, so it hadn't been that much of a surprise when the younger years had started to seek him out to tell him their problems.

Harry never turned anyone away; never judged, and never looked down on anyone so many had come to appreciate just talking to someone who they knew was listening. What did surprise him was last year when the upperclassmen started to seek him out as well. Something he later attributed to his relationship with Madeline, which had bridged a lot of gaps that had been there previously.

His nickname as Prince Fey wasn't unfounded after all and many without knowing it unconsciously saw him as a leader. Harry had a quiet presence about him that made many very comfortable around him and opened them up. He learned many secrets this way and gained quite a few allies, which had been his goal from the start.

He had even taken to tutoring the lower years when they asked it of him and since his arrival the dropout rate had become non-existent starting with his year. Everything was done with a purpose though, every move intricately place, every impression carefully cultivated and every rumor smoothly directed. He had become very good at maintaining the limelight while operating in the shadows, it was great practice.

This year would be a major step though, he would be pushing further then ever and curtain moves would be made that were much more daring this year. A lot of his plans centered on this ritual, the marking could not be allowed to be anything but perfection. He was almost ready.

The second day back, when classes finally started, went smoother then the first as everyone settled in and routine was established. It was very amusing, as Harry had begun to see that a sort of hierarchy was being formed around him. Previously, it was the tenth and ninth years that held the most respect and garnered the most attention, it seemed it had changed.

His Year-mates were his 'inner court' as he heard them called, followed by the few upperclassmen that he visited with as the 'councilors', and then the lower years had begun to consider themselves the 'vassals'. It was really very amusing to find out that all this had started with a fourth years obsession with medieval monarchy, which, had started this whole comparing him to a Prince thing.

It had spiraled out of control from that and the school had made it into a permeate label. The really curious thing was that no one seemed to mind all that much and that was the most important factor for Harry. Subtly it seemed they were accepting a role as his followers, it would only take a few pushes in the right direction to make this a very advantageous situation for him.

--x--

Hello TomHello Tristen

_Everything is going according to plan; they are falling perfectly in line. So perfectly in fact that soon I'll soon put my other plans into motion. I must express my gratitude Tom I doubt I would be so far along without your help in directing me; social niceties were never my string point. So Tom, you never did finish telling what you knew of Voldemort. _

_Didn't I? Oh, well he is a very powerful Wizard Tristen and if you ever get the chance to meet him stay on guard._

Why is that?

_He doesn't take competition well and you are very close to becoming a threat. _

_If we have the same ends I'm sure we could become allies. Imagine what I could accomplish if I combined forces with him…that is if he ever gets back into power._

_He will, there is no doubt about that. So tell me Tristen have you enjoyed your summer? What of the adoption? I do hope you haven't gotten to __**attached**__ to the girl. She is just a means to an end… always remember that. _

_Yes, I know. She is just a shield. I never got the chance to tell you but I had another encounter with Alucard. _

_Really, I would hope that you didn't let that filthy half-breed touch you again even though it is foolish to believe otherwise. Knowing you, you probably let him feast on you, I still can't understand why you put up with that half-breed and his savage urges. _

_We've discussed this before Tom; anything Magical, ANYTHING, deserves a place in this world. It is the muggles we should concentrate our ire on as they are below scum. _

_True, but I still can't accept you letting those things TOUCH you. (YOUR MINE!! Tom thought scowling)_

_It is barely any contact, besides there are benefits in it…the gratitude of a very powerful coven is one and the allegiance to an ancient Master another. What is a little blood when I get so much more in return. _

_Still it would be wise to find a way around such things. _

_As I've said before, no, the benefits outweigh the costs. All this is besides the point, I wanted to talk to you to get your opinion on a plan of mine. _

_Oh, rarely do you see fit to even tell me your schemes let alone involve me in one. Do tell. _

_You know the only reason I don't tell you my plans in full is because I cannot have anyone discover me, no matter what you say there a ways and ways to retrieve anything once written. Enough with that, tell me what do you think of me obtaining a partner this year?_

_A partner, in what exactly?_

_Simple to act as my significant other to keep the dogs at bay, really even with Madeline, they have gotten more persistent this year. Especially Simon, he made one to many moves this summer for me to remain comfortable unattached. _

_NO ABSOLUTELY NOT! I WILL NOT HAVE IT!_

_Really Tom there is no need to resort to yelling. _

_You are M.I.N.E. you do not need anyone else. _

_Hate to break it to you Tom but you're not real so there is no possible way that I'll ever be yours. (No matter how much he secretly had started to wish for it to be so)_

_It does not matter, I may be a memory but the real me remains alive and well. I will not have to seeking another!_

_No offense Tom but your older self will not even know me. I simply wanted your opinion on whom I should consider as a possible buffer zone. _

_Madeline will be sufficient, you should not doubt her abilities as a mother figurehead._

_We shall see, I will have to finish this discussion at a later date I have ingredients to gather. _

_Do not think this is the end of this Tristen, Goodnight_

_Night._

--x--

One of Harry's true joys of life are the strolls he takes on Avalon; there is no other magical place in the world that has the wide selection of life living on its shores that Avalon has. It began his first year, when the continuous crowding of people got too much for Harry he would go off onto the grounds to explore.

He never went far at first, but then as the days grew longer and the crush of people became suffocating he found himself wondering further. It is in this way Harry had become intimately familiar with a large portion of Avalon's legendary Forests.

No one could ever comprehend just how much Avalon had to offer until one wondered in the thick woods, plant life everywhere, animals, ancient trees and sprites. Some things that many thought long gone, all, finding home at Avalon and it was often here that Harry knew a few moments of peace.

For someone who never really feels at peace ever, that was saying something and it was on this island of misfits that he would find his last ingredients. It took a lot of time to uncover the last component that would make all he wanted to do with his mark possible.

Binding one being to another was always a tricky business; one wrong move and it could turn out very badly for all involved. Harry would take no chances so he had put it off until all he wanted could be obtained and he was almost there; all that was left was two more ingredients: the hair of a Gargoyle and the metal scales of a Draconian Fire-Cat.

This is where his knowledge of the forests would help him, he knew where these creatures nested and now all he needed to do was convince them to give up the items. It would not be easy, he was more then likely going to get hurt but it would all be worth it if he could gain the things he needed. Perfection was strove for not given and he would strive for this; his mark would do all he dreamt of and more.

**Hey my lovely readers I know this isn't my best Chapter but my fingers just refused to listen to my hands! Lol, so this isn't quite what I had wanted but I think it cam out okay! As always please review it inspires me! ) **


	8. Unaswered Questions

**A.N. I'll make this short, lol, I hope you like this new installment to my lovely story and please review I need the motivation. **

**Chapter 8: Unanswered Questions **

Suzie hated moments like this, awkward and uncomfortable, they didn't suit her at all, as she was a naturally very easygoing person. It didn't help that Clark had been following her more lately and was not far from her at any given moment. Her own personal annoying, stalker, really, couldn't he take the hint she wasn't interested in him in any way.

She fingered her locket wondering how to answer Professor Lupin without saying too much; really she couldn't believe he had even asked. It wasn't very professional, not at all, well no time like the present, so she took a calming breath and answered. "Well, I just don't like his attitude professor. Clark is just not someone I want to be around."

"Yes, but why?"

She huffed, "He's annoying Professor he just doesn't give up! He wont take no for an answer and he's just so…so…so arrogant! I don't like hanging around snobs!"

"AH, but you hang around Malfoy."

"Bu-but Draco is really fun to be around and he's so misunderstood!"

"All I'm saying is to give Clark a chance, he really is a nice boy." Remus watched as Suzie huffed and left, Clark trailing behind with his friends. He couldn't stop the small nostalgic smile from appearing on his face; Clark was really his father's son falling for a girl who refused to give him the time of day.

His good mood didn't last to long before he started to think of another young boy, Harry, he had been such a beautiful baby. The search was not going well, they were hitting dead ends at every turn and it was becoming increasingly unlikely that they'd ever find him. Lily was a wreck, James hardly slept, Sirius was even joining in on the search and sometimes they feared that Harry wasn't even alive.

It was looking dark indeed; still he had taken the defense job to help Lily out, by watching over her remaining son. Really this little love affair between Miss Forester and their Clark was one of the only bright spots in their days. They were clinging to him, just as they had always done, but it was more now, as they tasted true desperation to find Harry.

--x--

Grace had taken to wondering the forests to hunt at night, but she still slept coiled around him for the most part. Her little jaunts did help him navigate the parts of the woods that he had yet to explore. He finally found time to go get the second-to-last ingredient and he was armed to the teeth, as a precaution.

Gargoyles were beings of war after all, fighting was instinctive and protecting things their nature. Tristen was effectively stepping into their home uninvited, poising a threat to their safety, they were going to react, and he would be ready to receive them. The moon was rising casting shadows in the dark and making the trees move.

He had learned from Morgan that on Avalon, everything had a conscious life to it and it was ill advised to not acknowledge it. Most would think him insane if he ever bothered to voice some of the things he knew, like how he could hear the tree singing in the moonlight. It wasn't his fault that not many could hear or see some of the things he did, after all, not many actually listened (or used their eyes).

His feet were light and breathing slowed as he approached, best not to let them know he was there, not until the very last moment. He stood just before the break in the trees to watch the Gargoyles fly about, to get a feel for them. They lived toward the east end of the island, there was a cave they nested their eggs in and enough cover to protect them from invasion.

They lived on the solitary mountain on Avalon; most things couldn't due to the steep edges and craggy rock surface. As with any intelligent beings, Gargoyles had a leadership system his plan would only work if he could identify and approach the leader before the others took him down.

Which was easier said then done, not that was going to stop him anyway. It took him an hour but eventually he both identified and found an opening to get to the Gargoyle leader. He was rather large, over ten feet tall, his skin was a dark blue in color with long coarse black hair and brown eyes.

In all he was rather human looking even with his impressive wings, horns, claws and tail. He was still alone on a bolder, he and two others staying behind from the hunt to guard the eggs. Unlike the other two though he was on the ground not on the cliffs outside the caves, taking a place of authority.

The others had left about ten minutes ago and now was his only chance to get at him, it was now or never. Taking a deep breath he strode confidently toward him, the effect was immediate; the leader stood seeing him first, body tensing, even though Harry was pathetically small in comparison to him.

In the magical world it was very foolish to judge by appearance alone, Tristen knew this, and the Leader knew this as well, some very dangerous things came from the smallest packages. The other two had yet to notice him and he was standing about a foot from the leader in about ten seconds.

"I mean no harm to you, I come with a proposition." The leader raised a non-existent eyebrow, curiosity peaked, but body still tensed for battle.

"And what would that be little magician?" his voice was gravely, deep and oddly smooth. Tristen wasn't the least surprised that this 'creature' could talk (you'd be surprised just how many things could most just lacked the knowledge to understand what was being said).

"I need some of your hair and in exchange I offer you a potion, one that if taken will allow easy conception with your females. All that you would need to take is three drops of it before a mating act for each female." Gargoyles guarded their young so fiercely for a very good reason, female Gargoyles were notoriously hard to impregnate and the result was their sparse numbers. There wasn't much a Gargoyle wouldn't do to insure progeny, another useful thing Tristen had learned from Morgan.

"How am I to know you speak the truth Magician, your words are not worth much here."

"I will give you an oath that it will work, all that is needed from you is a few measly hairs. Nothing of importance, easily replaced."

"So you say little one, so you say, very well I am Girisha."

"Tristen Winter." He pulled a bottle out of his cloak pocket that was filled with a gold liquid that glowed faintly in the dark and held it out to Girisha. As the huge knelling Gargoyle was reaching for it with one hand he used the other to pull his long hair over his shoulder. He took a large fistful of hair and used his claws to cut it from him to hand to Tristen as he snatched the glass bottle from the outstretched hand.

When they both got what was needed, Girisha stood up from his knelling position and turned his back slightly to Tristen, a clear dismissal. But as Tristen was about to leave he paused, "You know I could bring you more of that, a bottle every week if you wanted."

Girisha paused, stern face impassive as he studied Tristen, "And what would you want for such a service? More Hair perhaps?" This was said with a touch of amusement, that Tristen wouldn't have heard, had he not been so great at reading people. Tristen smirked, "No all I'd want was an alliance, become my allies and I would be a great asset to you. All I ask in return would be the alliance of your clan and myself. Your clan is very powerful Girisha, it would be very foolish of me not to ask for such a valuable ally."

Girisha stood stone cold for a moment regarding him, gaze so piercing that had Harry been anyone else he would have shuddered under it. After a minute or two the giant of a Gargoyle inclined his head ever so slightly, no words necessary between them. Then his heavily leg muscles rippled, tensing under the loincloth, knees bent and then releasing like a spring he leaped into the air taking flight.

It was a sight to see, and made Tristen envious, to have such freedom to go where the wind takes you was something very precious indeed. He left as silently as he had came, Grace coiled around him, Tink asleep tangled forever in his hair and the night singing to him as he started his journey home.

Home, something he never thought a single place could ever be but over the last five years Noctiluca Castle had become his home. It was the one place in the entire world where he felt somewhat safe, the one place that was his, and the one place he felt truly connected to.

He went to sleep satisfied, another alliance was just won, another step taken on his path to his life's ambition and just one more thing he need not worry over anymore. The next day was hectic, he hadn't slept much the night before but he managed to get through his day.

He was immensely grateful for Madeline's pushing, without having to take potions, a lot a free time was opened up to him and he used it wisely. Already he had begun to socialize more with the student body; the younger years came to him more frequently for guidance and encouragement.

He gained more respect among the older crowd by joining various study groups and being able to keep up with them. By the end of the day though he was dead on his feet and wanted nothing more then to finish his work and sleep. Alex visited him that night as usual, but Tristen noticed something off about him, he kept blushing when he drank and shied away from him during his group's study sessions.

The next week was awash with activity, the time of the marking was growing near, and everyone could feel the anticipation in the very air around Tristen. Because he had long ago stopped half hiding his aura (unless he wanted to remain unseen) being close to Tristen was like being in the presence of something greater then oneself.

His presence was immense, even with his small frame there was a dangerous commanding quality about him that drew more people to him. Like a moth, attracted by the perilous powerful flames, knowing it could mean their deaths, so too they were drawn to Tristen.

It was his immense presence that was alight with anticipation, even though his face was as impassively blank as ever and everyone felt it. Something was coming, they knew it but they didn't know what it was exactly as Tristen had to yet reveal what he was planning.

It was Saturday night before he got the chance to get his last remaining ingredient and this one he wasn't to sure he could pull off. His entire body was tense, he left Grace to hunt, not wanting her to get caught in the crossfire but Tink refused to leave his side.

This walk felt longer then the last one, the trees were silent, and the moon hidden behind dense clouds, and the sheer darkness of it all engulfed the night. The trees seemed to groan in protest when he passed, warning him away, but not succeeding. There was no fear in him, just a grim determination and a battle ready tenseness that came from knowing just how much damage these opponents could inflict.

Draconian Fire-cats were more like scaled lions, with armored scales instead of fir and fiery eyes that shined in the dark. These predators were not to be taken lightly; most thought that they were blind because their eyes had no pupil Tristen knew better. The Fire-cats saw more then a common wizard could ever hope to see and were all the more dangerous for it, as it made sneaking up on them nearly impossible.

Just as he was nearing their den he pulled out three potions from his coat pocket and downed them in quick succession. The first, a strengthening potion that would last two hours and give him twenty times his normal strength which would help him greatly in the coming battle. The second would help his reflexes helping him to react faster then normal, and the last would speed up his healing something he grimly knew he would need badly in the end.

They came upon him before he knew they were there, the Alpha was huge and his mane glistened in the night shining silver in the almost non-existent light. His hissing growl would have frozen a lesser man, Tristen was already surrounded by the pride, the females keeping just within the shadows but he knew they were there.

He knew what he had to do, but he also knew it was going to hurt…a lot. Hissing in evolved parseltongue, he voiced his challenge for dominance, it wasn't like when he normally spoke the snake language. No this level of speech was different, it was more primal and using this he could communicate to other reptiles. He could still understand perfectly but it wasn't as easy as normal Parseltongue, as it was harder to create the sounds, but it was worth it to be able to communicate with all manner of reptiles.

The Alpha understood perfectly what he was doing and bristled in challenge, roaring his anger at his audacity to even attempt it. Time seemed to slow, sound dimmed for Tristen and nothing existed but this huge beast and him. Everything seemed to stop and still for one moment then a roar, muscle tensed, and the Alpha charged forward suddenly.

Before Tristen could react the beast claws struck catching him on his side ripping into his skin with a sickening whoosh as he moved to the side to evade. Then, in that one moment Tristen saw his one and only chance, right as the fire-cat was landing there was one small opening. Using his momentum from being hit Tristen twirled around invoking his magic as he went to sharpen and elongate his teeth giving him razor sharp rows like a shark.

It took all of a second to do all this and latch onto the big cats' exposed neck. Using everything in him, he pushed the beast to the ground pinning him and drawing blood as his teeth sunk into the throat. The lion roared it's pain and protest, struggling to get up but Tristen was using everything in him to keep him down.

He bit down harder as the cat continued to struggle, it lashed out with his deadly claws but Tristen was too small. Another non-verbal spell later Tristen's nails grew long and sharp allowing him to use those also to pierce the cat's armored scales. He was forced to drink the blood flowing more freely in his mouth now or else he'd drown.

The alpha was getting weaker, his fighting was dimming and a few minutes later it was over, the Alpha submitted, the pride was his to control. The blood tasted so sweet, it was really wonderful, but victory and domination felt euphoric in comparison. He had always hated being weak, hated it to the point of obsession and it was in this moment he felt truly strong.

Getting the scales from them afterwards had been easy, the ex-alpha he had decided to call Ares cleaned Harry's wound and Tink healed it completely. After that the whole pride had a grooming session where everyone, including himself, was thoroughly cleaned the excess scales were easy enough to pick up.

Ares became his Beta and Tristen would remain Alpha of the pride until he was defeated in a challenge. He spent Sunday with them and then left Ares in charge when he returned to the school that night. It was almost time, he had everything he needed, now, all there was to do was to prepare and soon an accumulation of five years of work would see completion.

It took two weeks to get into the testing rooms again, the place that had given him his wand and his home all in the same day. The symbolic circle still etched deeply into the stone, humming with power when he stepped onto it, giving him no small amount of satisfaction.

He sat in the dead center once more, bringing out a familiar vat of precious metal, crushed scales and Gargoyle hair. This would take a lot of power and it would nearly drain him dry, hopefully, it'd be worth the trouble in the end. Deep calming breathes, slow and sure, concentration was key in this, one slip up and it could all be for not.

The symbols glowed, and then became blindingly bright, eyes closed, concentration is key, the metal twisted and floated into the air becoming molten. The scales and hair flew up next beginning a dance that would bring about his victory. His mind, cool and focused, Tristen was unaware that he had begun to float too, unbound hair flying wildly in a non-existent wind.

Low words escaped his mouth, serene face stayed the same as always as, history was made, hissing and power…just so much power, more then ever before flooded him. Suddenly his eyes snapped open, glowing silvery green; surprisingly there was no pain, only a purpose.

It came together, the base formed and hair attached to the end, intricate designs along it entwining with powerful Runes and his brush was made. The outside world came back into focus, and the powerful paintbrush floated harmlessly into his outstretched left hand.

Then something unexpected happened, the symbols flared back to life in a flash, the room spun and a piece of something flew at his brush. Before he could even think of reacting, the brush and the something, merged, the brush morphed and a guitar was there in its place.

Tristen blinked not quite believing what had just happened, hesitantly he reached out with his magic and it turned back into his brush just like his wand. Then it glowed, and shot right into his left hand making him clench his teeth so as not to cry out in pain as he felt his hand burn.

Dumbstruck, he stared at his left hand and the new symbol etched into the palm, it was a snake coiled around his thumb stretching across the palm. It would seem this room had a life of its own (not surprising, really, this WAS magic) and it had decided to give him this gift. Whether this was a good thing or not was yet to be seen.

Sighing Tristen accepted it and moved on, it would do him no good to dwell on it, all things considered; it wasn't to bad of a deal anyways so it mattered not. It was only after he got up and exited the room that the full force of what happened hit him, he could see, his magic sight was still on and there was no pain.

No weakness, no blood, and no headache, he could see magic, the gift was finally truly, completely his. How it came to be he did not know but he was glad of this one more step on the road toward his ultimate victory. Soon he would be ready for the marking, the items were set, the allies selected, and all that was left was to choose a day that would work with his objectives, not against.

He used his spare time that week to hole himself up inside Morgan's Library, something that annoyed her to no end because he mostly ignored her to focus on his task. At first he didn't find anything intriguing, nothing very new at least, but on the forth day he stumbled across something very interesting.

It was a small leather bound journal, only a centimeter thick at most and very, very old. The yellowed pages had to be handled with care and the whole thing was annoying to open with all the enchantments it had on it. However, it was worth all the trouble in the end, it was Helga Hufflepuff's notebook.

It was filled with notes on musical magic, going further then they had and pointing out one thing that Tristen had overlooked, bands. Now, musical magic was powerful as it can affect a large area, in this there was no equal, but it did have its faults, which is why it wasn't very popular.

For one mastering an instrument to the point where one's magic can flow freely through the notes is very challenging and hard to accomplish. You had to be very careful too, one note missed and you could do the exact opposite of what you where trying to and mess a lot of things up. In fact, it was very easy to die when you made a mistake with musical magic because the magical drain left you weak.

Another thing was, for the most part, musical spells can't be cast with a group of people as their magical signatures tended to clash and it was hard to harmonize enough to make even the simplest spell work out. If the people performing the musical spell together, didn't have the right compatibility the result of an attempt could be catastrophic. It was much like when a wand didn't suit a wizard, one could perform spells, yes, but the outcome wasn't very impressive.

Helga had found a way to connect herself and the three other founders of Hogwarts by using their common blood as a base. By doing so they could perform with their various instruments and synchronize enough to perform some very potent spells. Toward the end he actually found some notes on a spell that could have been used to create Hogwarts castle, the preliminary notes but the base of it nonetheless.

Helga Hufflepuff was obviously as brilliant as her Ravenclaw counterpart; she was the one to start the groundwork for the famous castle. While Hogwarts is nowhere near as impressive as Noctiluca, it still held the world's attention as a work of art. The important thing about it was that when his mark was in place he could use it to connect the group enough that they could perform together also. This would open the way for some exceedingly great things; greatness would be within their grasp.

Eventually he found the right day and all that was left to do was prepare, the time had finally come.

--x--

James had gotten way past desperate, the hopelessness of finding Harry had long since gotten to him, making him frantic to find even just a hint that he was alive. That's what had driven him to the Goblins; to deal with them was headache inducing to say the least.

It had taken five months of delays, a thousand Galleons and a bit of begging to get an audience with Ragnook. He hoped it was worth it, that this goblin could help him find his son. He had failed Harry once, turned his back and not a day went by that he didn't regret it.

Lily was a wreck, not when Clark could see but they had cried together that night Harry hadn't shown for school. James caught her crying more then once over it, they just wanted to know he was okay. He fidgeted outside the Goblin's door, nervous, this was the last things he could think of to get any clue about Harry…if this failed he didn't know what he'd do.

The Teller came out and led him into the meeting room; he felt his stomach drop in anxiousness. Ragnook was a fierce looking Goblin and had numerous scars littering his face making him look all the more intimidating. Goblins were small but they were also very ferocious, not to be underestimated.

"So Mr. Potter, you've come seeking my services and I am here to listen to your proposal. If it is satisfactory and doesn't work against our interests we will be happy to oblige; if you can afford the fee of course." All this was said with a contemptuous sneer famous among the Goblins. James often wondered when he was younger if they had a special school devoted to teaching them those sneers.

"All I want to do is find my son, please help me in any way you can…I just want to know he's okay." His voice was broke as he pled with him. "Very well Mr. Potter, I will look into the disappearance of one Harry James Potter. Remain here while I look into something."

He stood and left the room stiffly, looking every bit put out by this situation. Ragnook met Thimblenack in the halls pausing briefly to greet him but moving on quickly heading to the inner chamber of Gringotts. He was uneasy about broaching this with the honored mistress, but it had to be done just so he could turn Mr. Potter away with a clear conscious.

Preparing himself for her displeasure he entered the chamber, it looked somewhat like a study, priceless books lining the walls and a ordinate desk in the center with a large portrait hanging above it. She was there waiting, like she had known he was coming, he shuddered; she had a way of knowing these things, always had.

Her beautiful face a stone cold mask, she did not want him here, and it was that which set him at unease, no one escaped should the mistress decide she was displeased with you. "Ragnook, why have you come before me?" Her tone was chilling and he fell on his knees before her to show his submission.

"Honored Mistress, I am but your humble servant, please forgive me my impertinence. One of your blood has come to enquire about your ward, he is concerned for his…child." He flinched he should not have said that her ward was that man's child. His Mistress looked down at him so chillingly that he feared he would not live to see the sunset this day. Damn his conscious, damn his pride, it was that which had led him here on this suicide mission.

"Ah, so the whelp had the audacity to come here to ask for your services has he…well it wouldn't do to disappoint him now would it? You shall tell him his _child_ is alive, but also tell him that you will not be able to assist him in any endeavor that would return **my** ward to him. You are dismissed leave my sight this instance." He all but ran toward the door, thinking he had gotten off very lightly.

"Oh and Ragnook," He froze fear creeping up his spine at the sound of her voice, "do go down to the Handlers it seems you have forgotten your place." Her tone was casual and so very cold bringing icy fear into his veins. He turned several shades whiter as he bowed to her in acceptance and made his way back to Mr. Potter.

He was waiting anxiously in his seat where Ragnook had left him, trying very hard not to fidget and still not succeeding in the slightest. Ragnook sighed inside, it was well worth it, his honor would not allow this man to suffer not knowing if his child was alive and he liked to think Mr. Potter would do the same had their positions been reversed.

He took his seat and faced James, still looking as pale as when he left Morgan's presence. "You have cost me much this day Mr. Potter I do stress you appreciate what I have found for if you do not…" he left it hanging, hopefully this would keep the outbursts to a minimum.

"Your son is alive and (he hesitated for a moment) well. I would caution though Mr. Potter that you do not come here again for aid to search for him. I will only tell you this know that he is closer then you think, keep your eyes open and you will find him again." Potter left without a word leaving a very weary goblin behind who pulled out a flask of whiskey to drink. That last line would cost him a lot when he went to the Handlers, another swing, then again he was never one for obedience so all he could hope for is that this was worth it.

--x--

Suzie looked around, smiling her widely innocent smile at her friends that surrounded her, all of them were strong and strength was all that mattered. Her brother would be so proud of her, she had gathered a diverse group of people together that had power enough to do what needs to be done.

He had lectured her endlessly about power, and magic, but mostly power who had it and who didn't. Teaching her constantly that power was everything in this world, by example and by the books she learned. At the orphanage Harry/Tristen had the power, the others had bowed before him and through fear he had kept her safe.

There was no right and no wrong only those who had the power to do what they wanted and those who didn't. The government had the power to enforce their beliefs onto the masses, a leader could force their rules on their followers, and it all boiled down to power.

Suzie smiled sweetly at Draco when he asked if she needed help with her charms work, even though he knew she was the best in her class (perhaps the whole student body when it came to charms). She declined of course but she did thank him sweetly, making him blush just a little. No one but her noticed his blush so she kept it that way, Draco would not want to be seen as weak after all.

Harry had told her how the world worked, if one had the power they could do as the pleased because no one could stop them. Power wasn't just how strong you are though, no, it was how well you could bring other powerful people to you and into your services. If you surround yourself with people who would die for you then you have more power then most because you are not alone.

It was like a pack of wolves, together they could hunt the mightiest of prey but alone even though they are still fierce they are weak. Harry had lectured her enough to know that when she came to Hogwarts she gathered to her plenty of powerful people, no matter the house, because she wished to be strong for her brother.

Who knew, maybe when she saw her brother again she could present her friends to him and he could take them too. After she graduated she would return to her brother's side to help him any way she could. She loved her brother very much, he could do no wrong in her eyes, and if she loved him, so would her friends.

Yes, they will be very honored to be in her brother's presence when the time came and they would serve him well. For now though she just praised him when they asked, telling them of how wonderful her brother really was and his vicious protectiveness. It would do them well to be prepared after all.

--x--

Harry felt the itch again, crawling there beneath his skin even as his serenely blank mask stayed in place. His hands twitched wanted to feel the sticky warmth that blood brought when he indulged himself. It was all he could do to calmly listen to Sarah, the school's resident gossip.

Sarah was an American Veela pureblood; she was from the south so her accent was amusing at times and her creature blood made her impossibly attractive. Not that he was affected in the least, that's what Sarah liked about him, Harry could listen to her and not drool and try to get in her pants.

Not even most girls could attest the same, as she was one of those rare breeds that could attract anyone even if they were not so straight (i.e. gay guys) or straight as an arrow in other cases (i.e. girls). She was just that beautiful, and she was a very valuable ally to say the least.

She was a large part of the reason he was so well liked because she could tear someone up with her gossip or raise them high all on her opinion. She made a great informant; with her alluring hazel eyes and luscious curls of golden hair no one could deny her anything. That was why everyone knew to go to her if they wanted to know anything, she could draw out the deepest secrets of the school with a glace and she reveled in it.

However, when she grew weary of only listening and never truly talking, that, she came to him. He could listen, he was a great listener, and he could be in her presence without batting an eye. Something she also reveled in, Harry had become something of a novelty to her and yet he owned her as he owned all who sought him out.

It was something he was very good at, drawing people to him like flies to honey, with the way he moved, with the power he exuded and the mystery that surrounded him. Harry was not a fool; he used his undeniable charisma to get many things that would be denied to anyone else. Sarah was very much a prize to him, another ally gained, another life willingly placed in his hands, and it was this that soothed the hunger in him… for a time.

Yet, he stilled craved the screams at night, craved the blood, yearned for the tears of others if only to silence his own. Sarah gazed upon his face once more, silent, just staring at him, taking in every feature, trying to see something she must have missed before. She sometimes commented that he must have some Veela in him to look so beautiful, and to be so irresistible. Many desired to be his companion, to know his secrets and share in his pain.

But he never let them in, sure, at times he let them taste it, glimpse the pain in his very soul but he never fully shared anything with anyone. Suzie saw the most, Simon, and Alucard caught flickers of it marred in his flesh for all to see if they knew how to look. Alex tasted it on his tongue every night and it was his suffering that drew them, his hate that enraptured them.

"You know Tristen, that the teachers often discuss you in their staff meetings?" Sarah asked him, an unreadable emotion brewing in the depths of her eyes.

"Oh, I was unaware that I was so fascinating." His tone was flat, monotone as always. That dead look in his eye sparkled for a brief moment drawing her in, loosening her tongue more then was wise.

"Yes, you frighten them all sometimes you know. You are too bright, you learn things too fast, and you are so powerful for one so young. Stronger, in fact, then some of our teachers, all the upper years can feel that tight hold you have on your magic and it scares them."

"Do I frighten you? Mon Belle, do I creep in the shadows of your nightmares?"

"No, and yes, you scare me Tristen with all that rage bottled up so. But it is also our fear that makes us love you, you are going to make this world shatter one day and we will be happy to help you."

Sarah was not lying; it was unwise to lie to Tristen because somehow he always knew. Veela are natural empaths, it was rare to find anyone that she could not read but Tristen had always eluded her senses. All she ever felt from him was power and hatred so deep it set her very soul aflame with it. It drew her to him too, drew many to him and every person who came to know Tristen could not deny his beauty, his power, could not deny him.

--x--

Alucard gazed out at the melancholy night; he could feel the pain in it and hear his little one calling. His little one, his little Merlin, such a fascinating creature he was so fragile and yet so strong. No one had moved him like this in millennia, not even his little police girl; his little one would be greatness one day.

His body tensed, his sense screamed out that he was no longer alone on the rooftop but he did not move to them as he had once. "Lestat, how very quaint. I have not felt your presence in years my friend." He did not move to face him and continued to gaze out at the night listening to the sounds of London.

"I have heard the Great Alucard has been caged, though, I didn't believe it until I saw this. Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"Yes, you would gain amusement from this, to extent even I gain some from it. But I doubt that is why you are here."

"You've caught me. I am not deaf to the whispers Alucard, they say something is coming; someone has begun to move the pieces placed centuries ago. A great change is on the wind, can you not feel it?"

"Feel it…yes… I suppose I do."

"Ah, you are not stunned by this, that is not very surprising all things considered. Tell me, Alucard, who is this young one I smell on your flesh. Who is it that moves one so ancient as you? Is that the one stirring the forces of this world, and awakening things that had been sleeping for far to long."

"Do not presume to think that I'd ever tell one as low as you." His voice held a warning there, but Lestat ignored it.

"So he is the one, the center, the changer, the Chosen one, one so young will move the very foundations of this world? How very…amusing…yes I think I would like to meet this little one you are so fixated on." Alucard whirled around ready to drain the life from him, but he was already gone.

He hissed in anger, Lestat, how he despised him. He had drank from someone far more ancient then even himself and gained something not meant for one as low as him. Lestat could read him like no one but HER could, his skin crawled thinking of what Lestat could do to his little one.

Then, a wide face splitting smile stretched across his face containing so much cruelty it could have stopped a mortal's heart when he thought of what his little one could do to Lestat. No, he didn't much mind if Lestat went in search of his small thing because his little one would tear him asunder if he laid one hand on him.

--x--

"You are here for many reasons, most I know, some I cannot comprehend, and some…well…your reasons are your own. However, It matters not the reasons only the fact, the one truth of this day matters, and it is this: once you accept there is no going back. Once you have taken my mark there is no quitting, no turning away, no saying no, you will be a part of me forever and there will be no escape from that. Think carefully my **friends**, think very carefully because once this begins there is no going back."

Tristen searched their faces looking for even a flicker of uncertainty in their eyes and all he found was determination. The time for marking them had come, now all that was left to determine was whether or not they wanted to be marked. Each face was searched for any sign of uncertainty, there could be no regrets in this because he would allow none.

Simon, Logan, Leon, Alex, Gabriel, Ophelia, Cleo, Flora, Fauna, Madeline, and Sarah all had resolved faces determined to see this though to the end. They would be his inner circle, his most loyal, his closest followers, and they would be honored above all others when the end of this campaign was reached.

"The mark will not only connect you to me but also provide many services which I will expand upon once every mark has been taken. Understood?" all heads nodded in agreement, "Good. Gabriel, come with me." The blue haired boy got up silently from his knelling position and followed him into Harry's room where everything was set up for the ritual. It was a real honor to be the first to be marked with their Prince's symbol.

Tristen's room had changed over the years, every wall was painted with scenery from the forests outside, the room felt darker, more calm now, and the bed was gone for now replaced by two chairs in the center of a runic sequence. A low table was set up with various paints that were actually potent potions that would be used as ink. There was another bottle full of a clear liquid that would cleanse his brush when he transitioned colors so certain potions wouldn't be mixed.

Harry turned to Gabriel, who seemed nervous but resolved to ask, "Where do you want your mark placed?" Gabriel paused to think that over slowly, the placing was very significant, but eventually he decided. "I think right below my heart on my ribs would be appropriate." Tristen nodded, secretly pleased with his placing but none of it showed on his impassive face.

"Sit in the chair in the center of the runic sequence and lean back so I can start." Gabriel did as asked and the anxiety he had felt slowly left helped along by Tristen's calm approach. Harry summoned his brush and started to arrange his paint/potions in the order he wanted them before he turned to Gabriel.

"This will hurt you know…it will hurt a lot." Gabriel just nodded thinking that the pain was a small price to pay if it meant he would be closer to Tristen. They were not idiots they knew what they were getting into when they agreed to the mark, they expected pain, they expected servitude on a higher level but to them that was just a drop in the ocean if it brought them closer to Harry.

They watched him suffer alone in silence for so long the would do anything to see him truly smile, just once, they wanted to see their little leader happy. Gabriel hissed when the cold potion first touched his skin but he did not move fearing that it might disturb the process.

Harry started with the stem of the rose, it wasn't a simple drawing of a line, no, inside the stem were interlaced runes that would be the start of the process. They would be so small though, that one could not see them if one didn't know where to look. This stem was the core of it and a deep emerald green matching his eyes perfectly.

His blood had been required for this particular potion and it would ensure every one of his marked would be connected to him on a subtle level. Next he began the rose bud after cleansing his brush and moving the green aside. This rose would be in full bloom and a deep crimson red it would also have hidden symbols within it.

After that he began his first snake, hissing in parseltongue under his breath as he went, the first one was a deep black that seemed endless. It coiled around the stem and reared up just over the blooming rose with an open hissing mouth. The body was very intricate with every scale detailed holding a different Parseltongue symbol and made the snake seemingly alive. Next he cleansed his brush and added his white accents to the snake.

It got pearly white eyes and wide spread wings that had every feather in detail only possible with magic. He repeated the process on the opposite side of the rose this time with a white snake with black eyes and wings. Then he leaned back and cleansed his brush while the potions dried on Gabriel's skin. Every potion had burned a bit but he was okay so far, he had a feeling though that the worse had yet to come.

Oh, how right he was when he saw Tristen turn to face him with an unreadable sparkle in his eyes. "This will be the most painful part, prepare yourself, you _will_ scream." Gabriel nodded even when the fear gripped his heart sending its icy tentacles out he felt his determination harden, "I am ready."

Harry smirked bringing out his wand for the first time that night and with a swift movement jabbed at his newly painted mark hissing out "_INUSTUS!"_ Gabriel did scream, loud and long, the mark sizzled, the runes on the ground shone and the mark was etched perfectly into his skin for the rest of his life. No one outside the room could hear his screaming as Harry had long since sound proofed his room due his frequent nightmares.

Tristen held in his glee at the sweet screams filling the room, even though he was rather fond of the quiet Gabriel he had an addiction to the melody of pain issuing from him. Harry very much enjoyed making others scream in pain, though usually he restricted himself to lowly filthy muggles there was no way to avoid hurting his followers this time. Eventually the spell ran its course and the mark was in place forever on Gabriel's skin.

Tristen's eyes glowed bright as he watched the mark begin to work its magic, healing Gabriel, soothing him, and he couldn't resist caressing his work. Which brought a moan from Gabriel's lips as pleasure shot through him at the touch as the mark reacted to its master's approval. Dazed, Gabriel slowly opened his eyes that he had closed against the pain to see Harry standing over him gently stroking his new mark sending shockwaves into him. However, what stopped his heart and took his very breath away was the diminutive smile on Tristen's lips.

Harry had never been more beautiful then when Gabriel saw him now, smiling a very small smile and it made all the pain in the world worth it to see it directed at him. He'd take the image, engraved forever on his heart, to the grave. Tristen hadn't seemed to realize he was smiling so Gabriel kept quiet staring intently at him hoping to memorize every detail.

It wasn't to last though, eventually Tristen did notice and the serenely blank mask was back firmly in place but Gabriel could still see the approval shining through his eyes. It filled him with pride and made him positively glow under Harry's approving stare.

"WE are not finished quite yet, you will be receiving a custom mark from me that will be placed on no other." Gabriel smile couldn't possibly have gotten bigger then it was at that moment. "Of course my Prince, I am honored." Harry nodded his head serenely, "I will be placing it just below your right eye it is to be your status symbol." That said Tristen lifted his brush once more and drew the rune ansuz on Gabriel's cheek.

Ansuz is the rune of wisdom; communications and poetry Harry thought it was a wonderful power base for his spell as it fit Gabriel to a tee. When the black potion dried he traced it with a glowing green fingertip while chanting under his breath in parseltongue. Then it was done; Harry was so pleased by it he let his hand linger in contact with Gabriel's cheek far longer then usual. Gabriel, of course, noticed this as Tristen as a rule keep up minimum contact because he hated touch so much.

"Your one of my elite now, only my elite will be marked with power base runes and only those whom known it to be there will see it. Now, Gabriel await me in the lounge common room and do send in Cleo." He hurried to do as asked and was very quick to send in Cleo (whom rushed in like an over-excitable puppy).

He repeated the process he went through with Gabriel with Cleo next, she chose her lower back as her marking place and then he put a custom rune beneath her right eye. He sent her out and had her end in Simon next, who chose to place his mark on his left bicep also getting his elite rune beneath his right eye.

Logan chose the back of his next and puffed up with pride when he got his elite mark. Then came Ophelia, her mark on her right shoulder blade and just smirked with satisfaction when she got her elite status symbol. Alex chose to have the mark placed in the dead center of his back and fidgeted somewhat bashful when he got his extra mark.

Flora felt less confident getting her mark without her sister and it showed on her face for a few moments when they got started. She chose her left ankle and her darker skin dusted very prettily rouge when she found out she was also getting a higher-ranking mark. Fauna strode in with confidence after her sister and chose her right ankle only to tilt her chin upwards in pride when she was also graced with her rune.

Sarah decided to get her mark elegantly twined along her right side so it began on her lower back a snaked around to her front ending just below her breast. She only quirked her full lips into a half smile giving her a very pleased look when she was branded with an elite placing rune too. Madeline came in after her and enveloped Harry in a firm hug as soon as Sarah was out the door.

Harry hid things very well, but he was finding he could hide very few things from his 'mother'. She could see as plain as day he was exhausted even though nothing showed on neither his face nor his posture. So tired in fact he relaxed faster then was usual into her hug, this time Madeline did something more then normal too as a marker for the occasion. She hummed a low melody beautifully as she rocked him summoning a bit of her magic as she went to replenish his stores so he could finish the marking ceremony.

It was a very strange feeling, Harry decided, being rocked and hummed to it was awkward… yet a small note of comfort in it remained. There had been a time when he had craved this, he remembered the longing well, and it seemed a desire that deeply buried itched to rise to the surface. Sometimes, when Madeline held him after a particularly grueling day it brought him back to his delirious fatigued dreams of being rocked to sleep, it brought him back to longing in the dark stuffed in a cupboard.

When he felt his strength restore he pulled away from her embrace to glide to his operating chair and gesturing to the only available one for her. Madeline wanted it on her left forearm, tradition, she said was best to be upheld by someone and she pulled him into another hug when she got her rune.

When Leon came in Tristen was still sitting in the chair and just motioned for him to sit in the chair opposite him. He did so with a relaxed smile that Harry had become quite fond of as it almost always meant just for him. Leon said not a word just staring into his eyes like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Complete devotion, that was the look Leon's eyes always had, and it was that devotion that made Harry closer to him above all the others. Madeline was his mother, his champion until he came of age and could defend himself so they had a very different relationship. It was more like Mentor-Student or even Mother-Son to an extent so Maddy could never really be his follower, an adviser maybe not a follower though.

With Leon it was different, he was different from the rest who followed him for mostly shallow reasons and even though they were loyal they were not devoted to him. Leon was a constant for him since the day Harry had saved him from letting the flames consume his very being. They talked more then the rest, actually talked, not just Harry listening and commenting on his problems.

They never went past anything but superficial when it was Harry's turn to discuss things as he still had issues with revealing anything about himself to anyone. Some wounds ran very deep and for Harry, allowing Leon to get somewhat close had been a big step for him this summer. That was why this marking would be special, and would differ somewhat from the others.

Harry said not a word and waited for Leon to choose the place where his mark would stand for the rest of his life. He made his choice; it would be placed directly over his heart and that only made Tristen more secure in his decision. The normal mark went smoothly just like all the rest but it was when the second mark was to be placed that it deviated from what had happened before.

Leon tilted his head to the side exposing his cheek to make it easier for Harry, "No, you will not be getting one there Leon," for a moment hurt flashed in his eyes. "You will be getting your elite marking on your forehead so the rest will know just how special you are, you will be my right hand if you so choose." Leon's pride swelled, his chest puffed up slightly in confidence and he answered, "There is nothing I would want more." And so it was done, Harry choose his second-in-command.

"Now, go prepare the others I have much to tell you before I may rest this night. Let them know that interruptions will not be tolerated there will be time for questions later, right now I will just be telling everyone the basics of what this mark can do."

Leon strode out confident, to do as commanded while Tristen was nursing a headache from the magical drain of marking so many people in just one night.

The mark was his masterpiece no one else had ever created something as devastating as his mark could be and it was the symbol of a lot of things. It symbolized him as a whole; it was the most beautiful thing he'd created as to date. His next creations would be hard to bring up to this level but he would make sure anything he created met with this standard.

When he entered the common room everyone was at attention waiting patiently for him to tell him or her what it was his mark did and how that would help them. "As I've said your marks connect you to me, not just on a symbolic level but on a magical one. This will benefit us in unfathomable ways but that will be expanded upon in the future. For now I'll tell you the basics of the power it holds. First, it can and will heal any injury to an extent, as long as you're alive it will heal your body. Now that doesn't mean you can't die from injury, as it cannot replace any blood lost only repair the damaged tissue whether you're alive or dead. So I suggest carrying blood replenishing potions if the occasion calls for it."

"Next, It will bring you to me no matter where you are, wards will be of no use, and no charm can ever hide you from me. If I call you, you **will** come no matter where you are, this has the added bonus that no one can keep you imprisoned should I choose to free you. Also, it has a few automatic shields laced in with it so should you not see an enemy fire at you your mark will feel it and shield for you. Now, I would suggest you practice your defense work because your shields are of low power within the mark so any high powered hexes will still get through."

"Built into every mark is a link that connects all bearers to each other, your mark will burn should one of you be under attack so aid will always be available to the one in need. Do not worry about how you will know whom is in danger the knowledge will be instinctual. That said never doubt it."

"Your mark will also alert you of an enemy nearby, I used a similar magic that is used in foe glass for that one so even if they showed no outwards signs of being an adversary your mark will warn you. That said, those bearing the mark can never seek out to harm another, any offensive magic cast at one bearing the mark will not be effective. Should anyone turn traitor, however, it will turn on you and cause untold amounts of pain."

"Betrayal is not an option for any of you, should you betray anyone bearing the mark or myself the mark has some interesting properties that will make itself known. If you're a traitor by the end you'll wish for death. Now, be forewarned being placed under the mark automatically places you under a confidentiality spell that will not allow you to disclose anything not cleared by me onto anyone."

"Truth serums will not work, and any other methods that can be used to extract the information from you will not work. This is to protect both you and I from ever having our secrets exposed to opposing parties. You will still be able to talk about the mark just not what it can do, and you'll still be able to share your own secrets with someone just not mine."

"Now there are too many things to go over tonight that this mark can do so I'll leave the rest for tomorrow for now I think it's time to rest. So for the moment the meeting is adjourned, you're dismissed my Dark Archangels." He left them then so he could clean up his room and get some needed rest.

Of course Harry had no way of knowing that he had just taken the first steps towards creating history and a group that soon the whole world would know. "You know, I like it," Flora said casually as they all rose from their seats, "Yes, Dark Angels, it has a poetic ring to it." Fauna replied contemplatively.

"Yes, the D.A. will definitely benefit us in many ways, the question is now is how we expand this little group of ours." Sarah said as she pulled her coat to straighten some non-existent wrinkle. "Why should we expand it anyways?" Logan replied looking quite put out about thinking he would have to share Tristen with _more _people.

"Well, Tristen will need to build up an army to accomplish what he wants. Besides what's a prince without an army, every great Dark Lord has one why not our Tristen? I mean really, we're not blind Tristen will become someone great and do what needs to be done to save this world from collapsing in on itself." Ophelia replied looking haughty and justified the Furie side of her rising up.

"Besides, Tristen will need our help he cannot do everything on his own." Cleo added shyly blush rising to her cheeks. "Who's to say he'll give them the same mark he's given us anyway, such things should be earned after all." Gabriel said to voice his piece. "Yeah, it could be a mark in status, the elite like us get the full mark. The beginners only a rose and as they prove themselves they can more up. Not to mention no one else will have the extra Rune, you heard Tristen these are only for the inner circle." Simon said while caressing the mark beneath his eye.

"So we're in agreement then, we will gather the ones we think are worthy to have such a mark and present them to Tristen. That way he will have his army and we can show them who is the favored ones. After all, we are to be like his generals it would show him we are committed to his clause…whatever that may be." Alex said as they all nodded in agreement.

It had been a long night so they wished each other goodnight and made their way to their beds. Every one thinking on how they could expand on Harry's network of people for him, thinking of contacts they could bring into the fold and assets they could add. A war was brewing, even if the world did not know it yet and while everyone was focused on old conflicts a new side was about to form.

--x--

Harry knew he was dreaming, he knew it but for the life of him he could not understand why. Most nights he revisited some horror from the past, or even had mysterious out of body ones of the man with the crimson eyes. He never really **dreamed **before, his nights were never pleasant and almost always grueling.

Which was why he could not fathom why he was stand in an endless stretch of white, there was nothingness here, no pain, no joy, not anything and it seemed as a dream to him. There were murmurs though, on a imaginary wind, murmurs in a different ancient language he had never heard before. This all made him uneasy and his was tense waiting for this newest form of mental torture he was sure was about to brought to him.

Then there was a woman, he could not recognize any real feature, just that she was there and she had been waiting for him. She spoke, but then she didn't speak as the words were known but not heard. He cursed dreaming, she was telling him she was the mother of things and had a task for him. How he knew this he did not know and confusion was abound, how he hated dreams he much preferred his nightmares, as at least they were straightforward in nature.

The murmurs were still there, of course he could not tell what was being said just that they were there…and gaining in volume. The ground beneath his feet fell out; if there was a ground to begin with and suddenly Harry could see what he understood was the earth. But things had changed, this was not the world he knew, people laid dying and in fact everything was decaying.

This wouldn't have bothered him much if the people hadn't been wizards, the earth, and** his world** was dying and all he could do was stand by to watch. Not just his people, everyone, there was no sky anymore only blackened smog, plants and animals lay dying in the streets. The world as he knew it was at an end, and there was nothing he could do to fix it from where he stood over it.

She was talking then, not really speaking but he knew what was being said. She told him the 'normal' humans had long outlived what they were supposed to, they were meant to have gone extinct long ago. Her magical ones were supposed to be in control now bringing the world back to the balance it had been. The 'normal' humans were killing her earth, polluting her air, water, food and their very lives. Nature has selected them for extinction it was time that the dominant superior species won out, it was the only natural thing to do.

He had been chosen to kill them to prevent them from killing the very planet they live on with what they called 'technology' it was this task she wanted him to fulfill. Harry could feel this was nearing the end of his dream so he scuffed and replied, "I **will** kill them, of that you can be certain but do not think I do this for **you**. You are nothing to me, will never mean anything to me whatever you are. I kill them because I wish for it not for anything else. I am not a hero, I am not your savior (he spat that out with disgust) I am just Harry, just a boy that loves to hear them scream."

What he didn't realize was that as he spoke a darkness oozed from his body seemingly devouring the pure white surroundings. His words were filled with hate and contempt but the woman-thing was unfazed and just nodded her non-descript head in agreement before everything went black.

--x--

**Hey everyone! Lol I hope you liked this chapter my fingers wouldn't stop no matter what I told them! Lol the next chapter will hopefully be out soon I have so many ideas and so little time!! Lol so next chap.: Someone new comes along, a family starts to crumble and a long awaited meeting finally happens! REVIEW and I might update next week…all depends on you really lol I know I'm evil! (3 **


	9. The Truth in Lies

Itchy crawly things, it was under his skin and never let him have peace, his cravings drove him and his need for it would sick

**A.N.: Hey everyone! Yes I know this was a little bit late but my fingers have kidnapped my hands and refused to relinquish control they just kept writing!! I fear for my arms because I know my fingers wont just stop at my hands, no, they wont stop until they've conjured my entire body to claim for their own! HELP ME!! ; yes I know a bit dramatic in that lol! As always please review guys it REALLY helps me!! Lol Tell me what you think! Unbetaed as usual you know the drill, I own nothing etc. etc. oh and I fixed the problem in chapter Two! Finally I know!!lol **

**Chapter 9: The truth in Lies **

Itchy crawly things, it was under his skin and never let him have peace, his cravings drove him and his need for it would sicken anyone if they knew. That's what it boiled down to…**if** they knew…but they didn't know and could never guess this crawling thing that lived within him. That wanted to hear the screams again, the marking had stirred it earlier than was normal, usually he could suppress the need for it but oh…the screams.

The screams had undone him, the voicing of their pain, it was delicious and he needed to hear it again. He had never once screamed out, not once had he allowed himself to voice the pain to release it from himself. So the hurt bundled up and was stored within him, every hit, every lash, every harmful word all that churning boiling thick **pain** held within him for _**years**_.

But when they screamed it was as if they were screaming for him, screaming because he could not and it left him needing more. The way their blood was sticky and slicked his hands when he hurt them…oh…the pain they voiced. He wanted it, no, he needed it…needed them to know how much he was hurting how much they had done to hurt him.

Every time he watched their screaming faces he did not see them, he saw the father that abandoned him, the Uncle that beat him, the boy who carved his first name into his back and he relished making them suffer. They were all so hollow, he was too, but they were so insignificant compared to him.

At times he did not know what to do with himself, when the endless stream of people was cleared away and all that remained was him. Alone, as always, he was alone. Madeline had been called away to the Potions Guild to help with a project by the Head Master, and the rest had gone home for the holidays. Everyone left him at some point, they always had and they always would.

He needed to hear them screaming, because the hurt was welling up inside him and he could not scream for himself he needed them to voice it. Filthy humans and their disgusting ways never ending in their greed for things, which was never theirs to begin with. He had told Tom of his dream, of the woman that he couldn't see but could, both hear and not hear, hoping that he could make sense of it all.

Tom thought it was magic telling him that what he was trying to do was right. Harry didn't think so though, no, he had felt magic before, been in it's presence, this new thing was not magic it was something else entirely. Something ancient, something powerful…but it was not magical at least not in the way he was used to, sure there was some power emanating from her it just didn't feel like magic to him.

It felt like crawly things and splintered dreams, no; whatever she was it hadn't been magic…not the magic he knew. When the whispers in his head became too much for him he ventured out into the forests again, searching for something to quiet the thing that lived inside of him.

It took him to the eastern shore not far from the Nightshade, the vampires' domain, he choose to lay on the sandy beach listening to the waves crash down around him. Bemusement and loneliness stirred in him…he was getting used to keeping his own company. As of now he had yet to break the habit of closing himself off to the world and he didn't want to, his detachment made life bearable.

Interestingly enough he was there for about an hour before he heard it, the soft hissing of a serpent searching for its next meal. He paid it no mind until he heard the distinct change in pitch that signaled it wasn't a crawling one like his Grace but something else…something much more dangerous.

"_Who are you?" _came the curious question, spoken in a breezy voice that reminded him of the whispers of wind dancing through a willow tree.

"_Now that is a question worthy of contemplation, even I am not sure of the answer so for now I'll just say I'm Harry."_ He didn't look up, he didn't need to, whatever was speaking to him was a serpent and because of that he held sway over her. _"Who might you be?"_ Harry asked, wanting to see if she'd answer.

"_A traveler by nature, a Gorgon, but you may call me Cassandra." _Now that held Harry's interest…a Gorgon would be valuable to any cause and the warlike creatures could be very handy indeed. So he stayed there talking to her for hours, just talking, it seemed she hadn't anyone to listen to her in a very long time.

Gorgons were solitary beings, never more then two ever came together and usually that was only for breeding purposes. However, Cassandra was a particular…Gorgon, as she liked to be in a presence of another and liked to socialize something that went against most Gorgons' primal drive to be alone.

Her hair was the characteristic snake bed but otherwise she looked almost human if one ignored the solid pale yellow eyes and slightly scaly skin. The snakes that made up her hair weren't separate from her as most were lead to believe just an extension of herself, with eyes and they were otherwise just like hair except they moved, of course.

She could control the power of her gaze so Harry had quite a time staring at the odd human looking creature with a critical eye. Cassandra had full red lips, a narrow face, high cheekbones, skin that shimmered in the soft moonlight and a lean body. She wore no 'clothes' but an ensemble of seaweed that covered her more intimate areas (even then it left little to the imagination).

The gorgon was a very strange one, wishing to talk endlessly with him about anything that popped into her head just so that she could. She was starved for attention it seemed but Harry had years of practice listening to things he may not otherwise be so inclined to, to get what he wanted.

Cassandra would make a good ally so he tolerated her and eventually she accepted that he would come back to see her occasionally. When he finally escaped her harping clutches he needed a strong headache potion and a calming drought to ease his frustrations about her. It was well worth it, but at times he wished he wasn't so accommodating when winning over an ally's trust.

However, the results of his patience could not be argued against after all he had won over a lot of the school and had marked quite a few people because of it. He had most of the school begging for his attentions, teachers falling over themselves to help him, and quite a few creature allies as well. He could not afford to lose his well-trained patience now, not when pieces still needed to fall in place and his goals were still far from his reach.

When he got back to his room, took the potions, and begun to paint for good measure his frustration eased…still the cravings were there crawling beneath his skin. It was more manageable now that he had reminded himself what it was that he needed to do and that gained he another strong pawn didn't hurt.

After he finished his latest work (a painting of Cassandra) he pulled out a book he'd been reading in his spare time, Animigus training couldn't hurt and he was rather curious as to what his animal would be. Things picked up for him, like the frantic beating of a dying heart time past faster then he thought it could. Every week another of his Archangels brought forth another to be marked, and his brood just kept growing.

He had Leon organize the meetings while he planned lessons, there was not much he could teach them that Noctiluca hadn't but he could tutor them on group fighting. This was where they had little experience, as the Professor encouraged their pupils to go far on their own and often taught individuals who showed promise. Each was skilled in dueling as it was a required class throughout the years but none had very much experience working in tandem with another.

That is what he gave them; by studying the Spartan wars of old he created a severe lesson plan that forced them to rely on each other like the wheels in a well-oiled machine. The sessions were hard at first as the upper classmen had to be broken of certain habits formed when one fights alone. He was their General then, standing at the back giving quick-fired orders expecting them to be followed without question.

Harry would split the D.A. in two groups one under Leon's command the other under him, the people switched sides regularly so bad habits were not formed and it improved them splendidly. They divided the two main groups under the elites that they commanded so that should one fall another was in place to take the lead. Mock battles were held in different places, sometimes in one of the abandoned rooms in the Castle, other times in the forests or in clearings so that they may get a diverse training ground.

Leon was a great strategist, he demanded perfection from whoever was serving under him that day and his style was fierce like a blazing inferno but he never won their game. It was not that he was allowing Harry to win, Leon was too proud to do that he gave every 'battle' his all but Harry was just the superior leader. His cool head calmed his 'troops' and made them calculating were they would have been frantic.

His powerful aura gave them confidence and his endless grooming from Morgan on how to lead an army to battle helped immensely. That is not to say Leon didn't come close to winning, he did countless times, but Harry always had a trick up his sleeve to pull out just at the opportune moment when all seemed lost. It frustrated Leon, and drove him as well drove him to become better…to **be** better.

The D.A. group sessions aside Harry had also begun to work with his elites on playing music in a group. Harry knew that they couldn't just start and expect them to play in harmony, no, those things take time…take practice. So practice they did, playing songs he made or songs he found in the muggles world (as though he loathed to admit it muggles played much more in harmony then wizards did).

Every night he had them practicing playing a song so that their instruments flowed together and didn't clash competing for attention by being louder or more prominent then the rest. The first few times it was a disaster as they unconsciously dueled for the limelight it took a very long time to find the semblance of harmony. Surprisingly, Madeline was actually an enchanting singer and with her superior years in learning musical magic she was a great outlet for the excess magic.

When a spell is cast in that type of magical band there are certain steps that need to be done in order for it to accomplish it's set task. The instruments cast the spell, the players power it and the singer directs it; all very simple but dreadfully complicated when the concept is misunderstood.

However, in their group practices they weren't casting spells yet just learning to become in harmony with each other but that wasn't to say the magic wasn't there. They were playing magical instruments after all; the magic came to them unconsciously to fill the very air with their jumbled together powers. This made Madeline vitally important those early band sessions as she had enough experience with musical magic that she could, through singing, gather the excess magic and distribute it harmlessly into the school.

Eventually Leon learned how to do this too, as did all the elites in turn and of course Harry studied the mechanics of it on his own so he wouldn't have to sing in front of them yet. It was great practice for when they actually moved on to spell casting, as the singers would be more experienced with dealing with the combined foreign magics.

The drums of war beat in Harry's ears as he pushed himself further then he had ever done before and it showed in everything he did down to the way he walked. His core grew each day as he stretched the limits of his preconceived boundaries and found new ones that changed every day.

Everything was a blur of activity and Harry lost himself in it; so much so it came as a great surprise to him to look up one day and find that six months of the school year had past the end of the term drawing near. He realized he hadn't seen Alucard in months when he felt the call from him, the preverbal singing of his blood as it cried out for him in the night and Harry knew he was there…waiting.

The night was young barely ten the slice of moonlight illuminating the trees with the softest of touch, the wind made the branches sway and there was still a chill in the air. Alucard was calling him to their clearing, the clearing they had met in and had used there after.

He was standing in the center, awash in darkness even though there was no shade to speak of in the dim glow of the moon; he was terrible in his beauty. His eyes landed on him, burning like hell's fire, drinking Harry's appearance in and leaving him feeling stripped of everything once again.

Harry wanted to touch him, had a deep yearning to be touched by him and it killed him inside to know he wanted it even after he'd been so stripped of everything in front of him. His scars were not something he showed lightly, they were an ugly reminder of his weakness and they still made him feel very vulnerable to any who gazed upon them. That was part of the reason he pushed Simon from him so, because Harry had shared a part of himself in revealing those scars frightened him to no end.

He had no wish for a companion, love was not something he believed in, but Harry understood the baring of ones soul with another. He had come too close to that with Simon, way to close and it frightened him so much he had run as far from a relationship with him as his alliance had allowed.

Not with Alucard though, he had stripped him of his choice to bare those things to him and had looked upon him with those crimson eyes seeing everything he had. He had no control over it, no choice, a variable raping of his soul and yet…some part of him had reveled in it. Some part of him had relished the complete abandon of control, of giving it to another; it disgusted him and intrigued him at the same time.

He saw hell in Alucard's eyes; he was taken in by them (so like the ones from his dreams), entranced, and it made him feel alive even though at the same time it killed something inside of him. There was a hunger for what Alucard had to offer, the complete loss of control and the domination from another.

Yet, he despised it, was disgusted, hated it and yearned for it. It caused such chaos within him that he yielded to the pull of him, allowed himself to be a feast for Alucard's eyes. He hated him and yearned for him for Alucard was the only person besides Madeline to touch him despite everything.

Harry needed to be touched, wanted to be touched even though he felt that something inside of him screaming out against it whenever Alucard did touch him, he still wanted it. Alucard stood there, so still he could be a statue but Harry refused to go any further into the clearing than he was already. If he wanted him, Alucard would have to take him, Harry refused to be obliging this time.

When he did move it was like flowing water, such grace could not be held by a mere mortal and in a blink of an eye he was before him once more. He'd worn very little just boxers and an oversized shirt that was comfortable to sleep in, as Harry didn't mind the cold. It reminded him of the last time he'd stood before this incarnate of darkness before and shivered hating himself for giving into this need within him.

--x--

When Alucard saw his little one standing before him with nothing but a few measly scrapes of clothes he froze to drink in the beauty of him. His little Merlin was breathtaking, long ebony hair loose tumbling waves down his back, porcelain skin that shone in the moonlight and those arresting emerald eyes that one could drown in.

He could see the sliver peaking out from his hair that was his multiple hoop earrings, the pulse of his veins, the plumpness of his lips, and the tone form of his body. A man-child barely in the throws of life, so fragile and yet so strong; never in all the world had he seen such a masterpiece of beauty.

It didn't concern him one bit that this succulent feast of the eyes was a male, nor did the fact that he was so young put him off. One learns when one is a vampire by right or by change that beauty is beauty no matter the form. When one is centuries old there aren't a lot of people who are not younger then you anyway and of course one learns to see the beauty in both sexes after a few hundred years.

His little one, though, was one of those rare beauties that only grace the world every so often and he tasted just as exquisite as he looked (another rarity). Alucard admitted he'd become addicted to this boy; his taste was just to divine that normal feedings lost their flavor. He did not move for some time just memorized the sight of him standing there looking very much like a virgin sacrifice offering himself up to him.

Then when he fell out of his daze he was upon him, moving aside the loose shirt to suckle at his neck while encircling the boy in his arms to press him against his chest. Divinity, there was no words that could describe the taste of him for none would do it justice.

There was a rumble in his chest, as he tasted the subtle lace of his blood marking his little one as his, everything in him screamed '_**MINE**_' at that moment. Tristen moaned, a more delectable sound was never heard and he sucked all the fiercer on his neck pulling back just before he drained him too dangerously low.

His eye's were glazed and he just hung there limp in Alucard's arms as the ecstasy rolled over him drowning him in the pleasure of it all. Alucard held him close, stroking his hair and licking at the twin puncture wounds on his neck. All to soon Harry regained his senses and pulled away taking a blood-replenishing potion from the overly large pocket of his shirt (that amazingly hadn't been crushed from Alucard's embrace).

He took it turning his back on Alucard to do so, and giving Alucard just the opening he needed to embrace him from behind. Harry glanced down at the gloved hands encircling his waist but did not protest the touch finding an odd comfort in it this night as the echoes of pleasure from his bite remained.

He eyed the rune circle on the back of the gloves as he said, "I could free you if you so desired I have learned the way to rid you of your imprisonment." Alucard stilled as those words sunk in and all that it meant to him, those brief words. He seemed utterly enthralled with studying Harry's neck for a moment, not that Harry could see that with his back turned to him.

Harry's soft breathing and distant calls of the wild life of the forest were the only things that broke the utter quiet of the night, they said not a word. For Alucard the choice should have been easy, **should** have been but it wasn't not really. In a way being a servant to a master had been refreshing after centuries of answering to no one he had missed his original Master so this had been a poor substitute.

Did he really need it now anyway? The world was changing he could feel it just as Lestat had said and he wanted to take part in it, be a part of it. Here was this small boy who barely reached his shoulders that could literally give him the world again, and when it was over Alucard would owe him much. He would have sighed if he had any breath left in him, "Yes, I think I'd like to be free of this leash against the world."

He smiled then his wide face splitting smile that promised so much…not all of it entirely a good thing. The world was to be his playground once more and he found himself relishing the feel of power at long last, power that would be his once more. No more leashes, no more rules, no more restriction just complete and utter freedom, oh, how he'd missed it.

Harry pulled away from him, the easy melancholy that had let him be held had faded and a purpose replaced it. He turned to face Alucard, power rolling off him in waves; he made swift gestured hand signs and gathered an unbelievable amount of magic into his hands. Harry mumbled words that even with Alucard's keen hearing he could not hear they were to fast and they tumbled together as Harry grabbed the back of his gloved hands roughly covering the rune circle with the palms of his hands.

That's when the pain came, sharp and clear as the twinkling of crystal bell lasting only a breath's moment before the distinct sound of shattering glass came. His gloves gave a terrible _RIP_ and fell apart nothing but string left to slide like water off his hands. Freedom had never felt so good, all his power came back to him filling him up and rolling like waves to crash on the ocean.

The shadows engulfed him then as he gave an insane laugh out to enjoy his freedom Alucard made a note to properly thank his little one some other night.

Harry for his part just wanted to see if he could do it, see if he could break something so powerful it could hold an ancient Vampire with Alucard's strength. He had done it and he didn't feel the slightest bit drained, rather he felt a sort of exhilaration that came from doing something amazing. Harry managed not to cringe when Alucard started to laugh insanely escaping into the night, he hated laughter, absolutely hated it.

--x--

It had taken longer than he imagined it would to track Alucard down but it was worth it, well worth it. He was beautiful and watching them now the hunger rose in him, Lestat wanted to taste him. The boy moaned and the sound drove him up the wall with the sensuality in it. Alucard held him tighter, riding the overly large shirt up exposing the white expanse of his tone legs.

He could imagine those legs wrapped around him bringing him to the brink of bliss and he bit back a groan at the image that presented. Alucard stopped, just before the point of dangerous blood loss and the boy seemed prepared for it as he pulled out a concoction out from his lone breast pocket.

He stood there still daring not a movement so he did not alert Alucard to his presence there, just stood still as a statue to watch. They exchanged words, he did not hear them as he was too far to make them out but he was shocked to the core the power that rolled off the small boy not a second later.

He watched Alucard be freed, heard his laugh, and shared in his glee when he realized Alucard he left to celebrate his freedom leaving him with the small one. He looked so fragile to Lestat, so small, so perfectly beautiful, so delightfully delicate and it made him wonder if he tasted as good as he appeared. He'd had plenty of beautiful people, killed his fair share of them but most never tasted as good as they looked.

It was their appearance you see, most truly beautiful people had to work hard to keep that beauty whether that meant not eating as they should or taking questionable medicine they did something. They always did in hopes to make their beauty as eternal as his own but all it did was spoil the inside leaving just a shell of fake splendor. Lestat wondered if this beautiful boy worked for his beauty or if it came to him as it did to that select few.

With Alucard gone Lestat advanced intent on tasting the boy before him but just as he was in striking distance without trees obscuring his way the boy turned fixing him with a cold stare. "What is it," he said with a bemused tone, "about vampires finding me in the night?" Lestat was somewhat taken aback by the question stunned that he could even sense he was there.

"You're not as strong as Alucard…but I suppose you'll do." His facial expression didn't change and Lestat smelt no fear on him it was as if he was talking to a human not a predator on the prowl. "You're not normal," He said with his French accent adding elegance to an otherwise crude comment.

"No I don't suppose I am," he raised an eyebrow at him questioning, "I suppose you came here to have a bite to." Lestat as quite numb from shock or his nonchalant attitude he wasn't sure. "You'll have to wait for another night Mr…" "Lestat just Lestat" "Lestat, you'll have to wait for another night as I don't particularly feel the need to be bitten again anytime soon. If you prove to be interesting maybe I'll allow you the same privileges as I do Alucard."

He turned his back on him then heading back to the castle but he paused and turned back with a fleeting glance, "Then again maybe not." He walked off then leaving a very stunned vampire in his wake that, only after some time had past, realized he never got the name of the interesting beauty.

--x--

When he got back to his room Harry was feeling drained and anxious, something that disturbed him. He had plenty of magic yes, but the physical toll was getting to him. Very little sleep, constant stress of finding something to challenge himself with and the addition of marking more followers (not to mention training them) it was all adding up.

He collapsed with fluid grace onto his bed, sighing, ready for a long night's sleep. Tink, who'd been sleeping on his pillow, gave an indignant squeak flying up to sit on his nose her tiny face pinched in anger. He would have laughed if he could and soothed her by stroking her hair with his pinky pushing some of his magic in it for good measure.

That seemed to pacify her for the moment but then she started to glow green with his magic and he knew something was wrong. She flew up not disturbed in the slightest to fly straight back down shining so bright he could hardly distinguish her features as she flew right into his navel.

The feeling was somewhat unnerving and he was startled wondering what the hell was going on, he briefly wondered if he was dreaming but dismissed it. He got up quickly and conjured a mirror to study where she flown into on his navel. The skin had a splash of emerald green that reminded him of a star and it felt almost hot to his touch though it wasn't painful.

More curious than anything he picked up the book Gabriel had given him about Vixi to find out what the hell was going on and he found it surprisingly fast. Tink was in metamorphous transitioning from her toddler-like form to an adult and in order to do so she needed the one that made her: Harry. She was currently residing inside his magical core and would not be coming out until such a time that she was ready.

It did have some benefits for him as well, but the book didn't give any specifics just that it affected each person differently. It was a curious development and something to think over later for now it was time for bed. The rest of the year flew by with endless tasks and preparation for something big, something only Harry knew the extent of.

There were whispered rumors flying around, the Dark was on the move and the world at large seemed to hold its breath. The ones who came from 'pureblood' families were tense, one of his younger marked heard hushed talk of a Dark Lord's return and Harry was sure Voldemort had risen again. The families were gathering, ones who hid their creature blood behind a pureblood mask were tense waiting for something big and it showed on their children's faces.

More and more people came to seek him out for council or just to talk to someone they knew would listen. He was glad for his reputation then because more students then ever before started to gather around him. No one said his name anymore (at least not the students) it was only Prince Fey never Tristen or Harry for those who knew his secret. War was on the horizon everyone at the Academy knew it as sure as they knew the sun would rise but what they didn't know was where they stood.

His D.A. were coming along nicely already they had more the hundred student joining in their battle simulations (every one of them marked of course) and they grew more skillful with every session. Toward the last month of school the Headmistress started to have every year tested thoroughly but no one knew her motivations as most O.W.L.s or N.E.W.Ts were well over by then.

She did offer a consolation by holding a school dance the week before school let out allowing the more skilled musicians to perform on stage. Harry anticipated that more then the dance itself because it was there that his band of Archangels could showcase their skills and see how far they'd come. The only drawback was that no one wanted to do it unless Harry was the one singing but Harry thought it would be a fair trade-off (he wasn't a terrible singer anyway).

So the night of the Dance his group was tense in anticipation he'd chosen Logan (drummer), Leon (guitar), Alex (bass guitar), and him singing. He wasn't about to let this chance go to waste though he would use this opportunity to persuade the rest of the school to his side by enchanting them, whether it was through his voice, charisma, or power he'd do it tonight. The rest of his elites were eager to hear him sing, as they hadn't had the chance yet.

The last soloist stepped off stage and it was their turn, excited murmurs went through the crowd when they saw that more then one person was stepping up. Alex and Leon summoned their wands letting them shift into their instrument forms of guitars. Logan's wand barely shifted shape at all and he summoned a drum set to him.

Harry stood in the middle of the stage with nothing before he summoned a microphone and stand to him (noting that the microphone itself was an old fashioned muggle one). The crowd held their breath the entire focus on them wondering just what it was they were going to do and if they could pull it off. Harry knew the beginning was very important so he had chosen his song carefully signaling to Leon they began:

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all…

Logan and Alex joined in, it was loud, it was raw and the crowd stood captivated having gotten used to the screeching bands the wizards liked to call 'music'.

You're sick of feeling numb  
You're not the only one

Harry swayed to the song reaching out and locking the crowd with his eyes daring them to look away…but they couldn't.

I'll take you by the hand  
And I'll show you a world that you can understand  
This life is filled with hurt  
When happiness doesn't work

He put his conviction into the words, believing them to be truth because he couldn't understand happiness it was something he'd never truly known. Harry was sure he wasn't the only one to think so and wasn't the only one with a pain filled past, he appealed to that in them.

Trust me and take my hand  
When the lights go out you will understand…

Every light in the hall extinguished as Harry let his voice go soothing and soft toward the end building up for then next line.

**PAIN**, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Harry let his thoughts be pulled back into his memories remembering the dark cramped space and the crack of a belt when it hit skin. He sang it out into the dark giving it up to the shadows that crawled.

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

This is what he knew, he knew pain, so much pain in his life…his earliest memories were filled with it and another emotion crept up with it. A light flickered on around the stage illuminating the players with an eerie glow and highlighting Harry's face as he held the microphone to him with both hands.

Anger and agony  
Are better than misery  
Trust me I've got a plan  
When the lights go off you will understand

He thought back to that moment when he decided he'd had enough and he'd changed his world forever, baptized in blood.

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all  
Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing  
Rather feel pain

Love was an unreachable star, something he could see but never touch, pain he knew, pain he could feel and so he invited the pain. Invited it because at times it was the only thing he really could feel when he pushed his emotions so far down that he felt hallow inside…pain was what drove him back.

I know _**(I know I know I know I know)**_  
That you're wounded  
You know _**(You know you know you know you know)**_  
That I'm here to save you  
You know _**(You know you know you know you know)**_  
I'm always here for you  
I know _**(I know I know I know I know)**_  
That you'll thank me later

The three of them echoed his words giving them an ominous feel like an inescapable fate the whole of the school was destined to and it was an amazing what a simple _I __**know**_ could do.

Pain, without love  
Pain, can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

They broke in the music, Harry almost whispered the words and watching him caress the microphone as a lover before he ripped it from the stand.

_**PAIN**_, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all  
Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all  
Rather feel pain than nothing at all  
Rather feel pain

He let them finish off with a few short sporadic bursts and when the last note died the blinding light flashed through the hall coating it again. Harry slipped off stage while the sudden light blinded the rest, not wanting to stick around for what was sure to be a wild reaction. He was right not a second after he escaped through the doors did the crowd regained their senses to scream and clap their approval.

Harry finished out the night in his room talking to Tom, who was unreasonably happy he hadn't taken an escort to the Dance despite the numerous offers. He'd been trying to distance himself from Tom, as he was starting to fear his unreasonable connection to him and not his magical one…his deep emotional attachment scared him. He admitted to himself that he was very fond of Tom; he couldn't see his life without him couldn't see not ending the day talking to him.

Tom was the one 'person' Harry was starting to see he couldn't live without because somewhere along the line Tom had become his rock, his constant. He was a jealous, sarcastic, charming, intelligent…friend and the only one Harry afforded that Title to, Friend, was a very big deal to him.

His only friend, the person he went to when his day was too long or he couldn't work through a problem (rare but it did happen). In fact, Tom was the only one he shared his research with and the only one Harry was sure would never be disgusted with him. He very much liked Tom, so much he wished he was real so he could touch him and that frightened him because 'Tom' was NOT real no matter how much he wanted him to be.

This year he'd even taken to carrying the dairy with him inside his coat just so he could feel some closeness to him…so he could know Tom was there. Harry was noticing that this year he was progressively seeking out touch from Madeline simply for the comfort of having it, though he did stop himself from initiating it. Harry had thought he had gotten used to his loneliness, he had thought he had gotten past the need for someone but he was starting to realize he'd been deluding himself.

He wanted someone, not any someone though, he wanted Tom and it was starting to hit home that he could never have him no matter how he wanted him. Harry had acknowledged long ago that he dreamed of someone who would never leave him and lately he was picturing that someone as Tom. Harry went to bed that night to dream of a crimson eyed gaze, that he never truly recalled in the morning, once again.

The end of the year was fast approaching and the day before school would be let out the Headmistress called the student body into the ceremonial Hall for an announcement. There were just enough chairs to house everyone (including the Teachers) facing a raised dais that the Headmistress was standing behind. She looked just as commanding as usual, and just as dignified as she waited for everyone to settle before she started to address the crowd.

"I am sure you are all exceedingly curious as to what this could possibly be about and I assure you this is of the utmost importance so a expect all of you to remain quiet until my announcements are over. There will be time for questions later for now I'll get straight to the point."

"Next year a competition that hasn't been seen in centuries, due to its extreme nature, will be held and it is my intent to enter our school. It has taken a grievous amount of time to convince the English Ministry to allow for our entry so I hope you will appreciate the effort. The Tri-wizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, a few select students from each of the other competing school will arrive there in October for selection."

"Noctiluca Academy will be one such school and as I'm sure our more bright students have already deduced this last months rigorous testing has been used to select our representatives. Only the best will be allowed to attend as how well our champion does in the tournament will reflect directly onto the school and to insure this every year has been given the same tests. The ones who have done well enough will go the ones who didn't make the cut will remain here. This is a totally unbiased selection relying solely on the individuals test scores alone so no matter the sex, breed, or age had no affect on said selection."

"I'll cut right to the chase then, when I call your name please make your way to the side door behind me: Heather Sweets, first year, Jack Dune, second year, Marilyn Chase, June Dawnalin, and Edgard De L'Arbre, third year, John MacMillan, fourth year, Simon Mariotte, Alexander Spyri, Logan Kohler, Gabriel Aquatos, Leon Holder, Ophelia Eyebright, Cleo Idlewild, Flora and Fauna Steelweather, and Tristen Winter, fifth year, Steven Bines, sixth year, Mary Strijder, seventh year, Amara Boipelo, eighth year, and Madeline Winter, ninth year."

"Congratulations to the one who made it and to the one who did I would hope this is motivation to try harder on your studies. Now for those who weren't chosen you are dismissed congratulations on completing another year!" With that said they left the Hall and the Headmistress left to address her chosen few one what was to be expected of them the coming year.

When she made it into the room the chosen students were standing around waiting patiently for her to expand upon their trip all but Harry Potter/Tristen Winter that is who had conjured himself an elegant chair sitting in the midst of them. He looked like a lord waiting patiently for his servant to bring him news, she hid a smile, and he really did amuse her endlessly. Seline had watched him grow and she was very proud of her star pupil (even if he was an evil little mastermind).

"Now I know you all are probably about as sick of hearing me talk as I am of talking so we'll make this short. Next year in October we will be attending school at Hogwarts for the tournament because of this you all will be given a special uniform that will show our school unity." She flicked her hand and a box appeared, another flick and tailored uniforms flew into the awaiting student's hands. They were very much like the upper year uniforms, the coat was cut the same and was a deep blue with a silver crescent moon engraved on the back. The pants were a sensible tan khaki and the shirts were a soft crème that would go well with their diverse skin tones.

"I don't think I need to tell you that Noctiluca secrets stay with Noctiluca? On to more important business I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Hogwarts' standards are no where near the academic level we strive for so besides attending the mediocre classes at _that_ school I will also be working closely with private tutors so we can be sure your grades wont suffer. That is all you will need to know for now I will be elaborating more when you return next year, any questions?" She eyed the students around the room and wasn't the least bit surprised by who raised their hand.

"Yes, H-Tristen?"

"I was just wondering, I've noticed you've selected a student from every year to go but I couldn't help but notice there seems to be no selection from the first years? Will one be coming with us come October?" Seline raised an eyebrow at him wondering what game he was playing at now, nevertheless she replied. "No, we will not be having a first year in our little jaunt to Hogwarts some people, who I will not name, frown upon Noctiluca's practice of allowing admittance as early as nine years old. Besides, we want to show everyone just how accomplished we are I do not think we need an inexperienced first year bungling things, now do we?"

There were nods of agreement all around, but of course Harry picked up on one of the more subtle things first: _'show everyone just how accomplished…'_. That could only mean one thing to him, no holding back, the Headmistress had effectively given them free reign to show off. It was a bid for freedom from the shadows it seemed and they wanted everyone to know just how '**accomplished**' the school was, inside Harry smirked.

One thing was for certain next year was definitely going to be very interesting, very interesting indeed. Seline left them to get acquainted but there was really no need as every person in the room carried his mark…not that she needed to know that. He felt Grace slither restlessly under his clothes, and a twitch in his navel, his companions could feel his excitement. This summer he had big plans, the next year would be chaotic but it would work well with his goals. All he needed to do was play the cards right and not get caught up in things he couldn't handle, should be easy enough…right?

--x--

Lily looked at the mirror and sighed, she did not look her best not at all; deep bags under her eyes, shallow skin, and limp hair she appeared just as horrible as she felt. A quick glamour and she was looking normal again, she sighed she really wished she didn't have to go see Albus today. She and the remains of the Marauders had been called into a meeting today; Lily hoped he had news of Harry.

When they arrive at the office Remus and Dumbledore were there, waiting for them with melancholy little smiles on their faces, 'no news then' she thought. She felt her heart fall a little but not as much as it used to when she thought of her little boy, wondering if he was alive, thinking about what should have been. Her anger had long since died, now she was just sad and it wasn't Albus' fault not really, after all he had done what he thought best.

"Welcome, lemon drop?" He offered eyes twinkling madly as if the stupid candy would fix everything (okay so maybe not **all** of her anger).

"Can we please get to it Albus, Clark is at the Weasleys until 4 and we can't let this drag on." She said morosely, she had very little patience these days.

"Of course Lily, now I don't know what you've heard but next year Hogwarts will host the newly revived Tri-wizard Tournament." Shocked faces, and some grumbling from lily he went on, "This means that there will be a number of schools coming to participate and I will be in need of some extra security."

Glances were exchanged, they all could feel something was going on and being a part of the Order helped with their political awareness so they knew the Dark Families were stirring. The question now was who they were gathering under, Voldemort, or another up in coming Dark Lord they didn't know. There were rumors flying around Knockturn Alley of meetings being held but so far the Order agents hadn't been able to confirm anything.

It all had them very worried, Dumbledore especially, because how would they defeat Voldemort without his prophesized slayer? Harry was so important to the Light side right now and they couldn't find hind or hair of him and no clues to his whereabouts anywhere. Lily had been frightened that Voldemort had gotten to him until James had come back from Gringotts with his news and she had been thankful of that.

The tournament presented to many opportunities to get into Hogwarts, and in turn to the Headmaster who was at the moment an irreplaceable Light Icon with Harry MIA. They all nodded and Remus decided to be the spokesman, "Sure Dumbledore, anything you need I'm sure we'll be happy to help with."

"Wonderful, Now I'd like to invite you Remus to come back as the Defense Teacher, Sirius I've decided to open up a new elective class on dueling I do believe you'd make a great teacher?" He could see the spark of mischief in Sirius' eyes but let it go, his pranks were amusing. "Lily, I would like to offer you an assistant teaching job, Filius really would be delighted with your help I'm sure. James, Hooch wanted to know if you'd be willing to share in her Flying instructor duties?"

Everyone nodded their head in agreement knowing the real reasons they were being offered 'jobs' as it would be a perfect cover for being at the school. Albus suspected there would be some friction between this particular group and Severus but he hoped they'd be able to put aside their differences this year. He knew Lily hadn't spoken to Severus in years, and James hadn't seen him in just as long hopefully it wouldn't be to bad keeping them in the same school once more. Besides he was sure that after all these years they would love the opportunity to place the past behind them like the reasonable adults they were.

--x--

Summer was just beginning and already Harry was continuing his preparations for a long fruitful summer, not to mention his Potion Master duties. His potion that had gotten him his Mastery had caused a lot of hype inside the Guild, but as the ingredients were rare and the recipe unknown to any, aside from himself the attentions were minimal. It did mean that he had to spend a few days there this summer working with a more accredited Master to help with some research because he'd shown so much potential.

Harry didn't mind this too much because it would get him some much-needed money (that he'd been earning through more legitimate means since his Mastery). Brewing was very relaxing anyway and he needed the experience since though he was a Master he didn't have anywhere near the savvy of someone who had years of practice. Right when they got 'home' Madeline went about setting up a greenhouse for them so they could grow their own supplies.

She had a lot of seeds collected throughout the years from her many trips around the world and was eager to begin to grow her own. As next year would be her last she thought she would get a jump-start on it since tenth years were allowed to leave the school at any time they wished. This way she could keep an eye on them and start preparing for when she no longer had a whole island at her disposal for gathering. After all it would be impractical to return to Avalon every time she needed something when she could just grow some of her own and save herself the trip.

The Greenhouse ended up being bigger even then their house when she was done and it was magically expanded on the inside, in all it was impressive for only a day's work. While Madeline was doing that Harry had quickly taken off to go 'hunting' to satisfy that need in him, he took his tent with him and when he returned a few hours later Maddy asked no questions. She didn't want to know anything that went on in his 'tent' and never said a word when he set it up in the backyard even though he had a room of his own.

Harry had the whole past school year's worth of ideas he wanted to try out so he went off right away and refused to come back until he had at least twelve specimens to experiment on. Needless to say it was ridiculously easy to make a few people 'disappear' and he had to add more testing rooms when he was done collecting to fit them all. The first one was a man with light brown hair and hazel eyes; he tore into him with a vengeance and by the end he couldn't even scream anymore. That calmed him down enough so he could actually work on the others; the blood still coated him when he had returned to the house to shower.

Madeline was still in the Greenhouse setting up the insides so she didn't even see her blood splattered adopted son go into the house. Harry for his part was reveling in the feel of the sticky warm blood coating his hands and it made him feel calmer than he's felt in months, he regretted washing it off. When he was done he got dressed efficiently and headed towards his room to rest as it was getting late. It was only nine but Harry wanted to start an early day tomorrow so he could begin his tests to see if he'd finally made some progress on what he dubbed the 'Cruico Cure'.

When he got to his room however, there was an Owl waiting for him with a clearly extravagant letter attached to its leg. He took it and when it didn't leave he figured it was waiting for a reply so he decided to read the letter to get it over with. The envelope was hand his name embossed on the front in a stylish script and it was framed by swirling water, which he immediately recognized as part of Cleo's family crest.

Inside was an equally beautiful invitation to a Ball being hosted by Cleo's family, it was set for next week and had a flexible ending time indicating that the Ball could very well last into the next day. Within the Envelope was also another letter from Cleo herself, explaining how she thought he would benefit from attending as there were sure to be some interesting guests. It didn't say much but Harry could infer from her hints that someone he'd very much liked to meet was going to be there.

Harry didn't usually do much over the summer socially wise, as it was his time to vent some frustrations and continue with his research. His followers usually respected his privacy seeing as it was the only time he really took time for himself and didn't usually invite him to these sorts of things as a result. For Cleo to break that unspoken rule this Ball had to be an important event and was more then likely to include the reasons behind the 'Dark' inclined families' tensions.

It was way to good an opportunity to give up and Harry decided that he would go, bringing him to another problem of what he was going to wear. Now most of the time this didn't matter at all to him but when one attends something like this one is usually judged by dress on your standing. This was high society; these people would be very rich, very influential, and very critical on anyone who hasn't been a part of that sort of scene before. If Harry was to go he would need to go looking his very best, behaving like he belonged there and he had to establish himself as a high standing individual among them should he aspire to gain any of their respects.

Money meant everything in this world and any other, money was respect, money was power but most importantly money was influence. He would need these people's support eventually should he wish to secure his goals as he was far from being anywhere near as rich as they would be. To this end Harry decided he would have to earn quite a bit before he was to attend the Ball so he could afford what he would need to buy to make a good impression. This also meant that Madeline, his guardian, would need to look the part also as she reflected directly on him.

He messaged his temple, this was headache inducing to say the least, he decided he'd discuss this with Tom tomorrow before he returned to his research and contacted the Potions Guild. The guild would definitely help in gaining some of the money he would need as they could direct some clientele to him. If worst came to worst he supposed he could acquire some more money through less than legal channels when it boiled down to it. For now he went to bed, he'd need his rest if he wanted to get anything done tomorrow.

--x--

Lily, James, Sirius and Remus made it back home with plenty of time to spare before Clark was due to be back, though they knew it was more then likely that he was going to end up spending the night. Lily was silent since Dumbledore's office while the guys talked and joked loudly about the coming school year. It were times like these that she felt strained to the breaking point, who were they to have fun when her baby was missing, who were they to be so happy?

Sometimes she couldn't even stand looking at James' face because it reminded her of Harry, he looked so much like James as a baby. She often wondered what he looked like now, if he was happy and if he even knew she was alive. It tore her apart and their love life had suffered for it. James spent most of his time with Sirius goofing off now that he had gotten some answers from the Goblins, and it grated on her nerves.

Sometimes she just wished she had never laid eyes on him, and then he would do something really sweet or they'd had comfort sex and she was back to loving him. Lily loved James she really did but at times she just couldn't stand being around him anymore. So she had taken to spending her time reading, whatever caught her fancy really and slowly she felt herself losing touch with her husband. It scared her more then anything to think she may fall out of love, but against everything Lily knew she loved James as much now as her wedding day.

She went to the Parlor of the house, sighing, to get some Tea, it had been a very long day and she just wanted to relax a bit on her own. Remus followed in after her, which she didn't mind much as he was much better company intellectually then her husband, she admitted. He looked at her searchingly and asked, "How you holding up there Lily?" "I'm just so tired Remus, I feel as if there is so much more I could be doing to help find Harry, I want him back Remus I want my baby!" Her voice was strained and he could tell she was close to the breaking point.

There is only so much a person can take after all, and Lily was no different he saw the signs in James' eyes when he talked about Home. There used to be such pride in the family, and Lily and James had been so much in love it was humbling watching them. Now he could see the signs of strain tainting their relationship and he didn't like it at all, "I Know Lily, I know but you must be strong. Be strong for a while longer otherwise Harry wont have much to come home to anyway."

"Yes, You're right. I will be better I promise besides being closer to Clark next year will be sure to help. I miss him so much when he's at school, tell me Remus how's our boy?" Remus chuckled, amusement shining through as he thought about it. "You know he reminds me so much of James its gets scary. He follows that girl Suzie around like a lost puppy and she wont giver him the time of day. It reminds me so much of our own Hogwarts' years when you wouldn't date James for the world!" He laughed uproariously as he said that attracting Sirius and James into the parlor to see what was up.

Lily huffed indignantly and glared at Remus, "I have no idea what you're talking about!" She was almost shrill at the end like a wet cat, ready to claw out the nearest person's eyes. "She even has the Slytherin friend that she is forever defending! Its like an extreme sense of Déjà vu every time I see them fighting!" He chuckled. "OH! Shut up you!" She snapped back though a teasing smile threatened her lips.

"I'm dead serious!" "No I'm Sirius!" James hit Sirius over the head for interrupting Remus with that stupid over played joke, said person just rolled his eyes. "Anyways you'll see next year Lily! You guys will feel that overpowering sense you've been there before when you watch Clark about Suzie, its' dead funny watching it from the outside! I sometimes wonder if our professors got the same kick I do watching them as when they were watching us!"

They all laughed, "I still think we'll have to talk to her about her choice in friends! I don't want to think about how my life could have turned out if my eyes had never been opened to how spiteful Slytherins are, I'll have to warn the poor girl!" Lily had made plenty of mistakes before but being friends with Severus was her biggest one, she always regretted it. He is a slimy jerk who caused all of this, if he hadn't taken his 'lord' the prophecy then she'd have Harry with her right now.

And like a snap everything that was going wrong in her life suddenly became all Snape's fault. She was feeling much better already, she should have never doubted her love for James it was all Snape's fault! He was the one she blamed with all her heart now; it took some of the burden off her shoulders by placing it on him. He was the prefect scapegoat after all, a slimy, sneaky, Slytherin spy who deserved all the torment he got (at least in her eyes). It never once occurred to Lily to think things through and see just how blind she had become since she'd wed James Potter.

Never once did Lily think about what Severus was going through, not once did she think that maybe he deserved batter, not once did she think about how hard life had been for him and not once did she think of anyone besides herself. That had always been her problem, her oblivious narcissism that refused to be acknowledged that everything centered on her. Lily had that same problem growing up, she never reached out to Severus when she saw how much his father hurt him, she never once stood by him like a true friend and it was this that had doomed her from the beginning.

Lily could look past herself, couldn't see that a true friend would have stopped James from hurting Severus from the start; she couldn't see that Severus needed a friend not ultimatums. She demanded but she never gave, it was Lily more so than even James that had driven Severus to the Dark side because she had had the power to stop it. One kind word, one unselfish act, one small gesture to show she would stand by her friends and she could have saved Severus from his torment. That in turn would have saved her from hers because Severus would have never become a Death Eater if Lily had been the friend he deserved.

Alas, she refused to see it and had allowed herself to be blinded by her husband's hate and her own narcissism. Lily could have never known just how much that same thing would change the course of her entire life, was changing the course of her life because from the moment she had broken ties with Snape it had brought both of them nothing but misery. Lily was blind to all this though, stuck in her own little world where everything she did she did for herself.

--x--

Cleo was nervous and she kept fiddling with her dress, hair, make-up, anything really to distract her from what was going on today. This Ball had become very important to her when Tristen had replied, promptly as always, that he was indeed coming with Madeline. Since then it was been chaos at her home because she had gone slightly insane trying to make sure everything was prefect, usually it was only her sisters that and mother that cared about that.

When she was at Cleo was content to play the wallflower and stay out of everyone's way effectively making herself invisible until school term came around. Cleo had never been very confrontational; content to let most things slide instead of standing up for herself, especially where her family was concerned. So every summer was very much the same for her, she stood back let her family run things and made herself scarce when things grew tense between anyone.

Which was part of the reason she was have such a problem this summer concerning the Ball because at first her mother/sisters had not listened to her at all. Well, that had done nothing but pissed her off, Tristen was coming for Morgan's sake! So she had blown up a little that first day and her family would never forget it, having even dubbed the day as 'Cleo's rampage'. It had never occurred to Cleo's family before that she was stronger then them because she was always so quiet and kept to the background so much.

However, after said incident they had begun to reevaluate how they treated her, Cleo had five years of Noctiluca academy under her belt and a whole lot of power that came with it. All her sisters had never finished their schooling at Noctiluca every one of them had transferred out because it got to hard, preferring Beauxbatons instead. The same could be said for her parents between them the highest year they lasted was to third year.

It had just hit them when Cleo started taking charge that she could have done so for some time already and she had been allowing them to command her. A few days before the Ball was to take place Cleo's mother decided to ask the one question every one in her family want to know, "Why is _this_ ball so important when the others didn't matter to you more then the dirt on the bottom of your shoe?"

Cleo turned her white eyes on her (those eyes had always freaked them out and was part of the reason they liked to ignore her), she said very slowly like she was talking to an idiot, "Tristen is coming, _**Tristen!**_" she very nearly hissed at the end. Her mother for her part just blinked, and her eldest sister blurted out "whose that?" Cleo stilled for a moment and they tensed (her father was slowly edging to the door) waiting for another 'rampage'.

They weren't disappointed Cleo spent the next six hours ranting about her 'Prince' and how they should show proper respect when he arrived. Also she reamed into them that if they embarrassed her in any way in front of him she'd personally make sure that they would **wish** they would die by morning (terrifying her entire family). And when her second eldest sister was foolish enough to ask what was so special about this boy they all regretted it.

Cleo went into an in detail account on the many, MANY, reason she personally thought that made Tristen utterly prefect in every way humanly imaginable. Needless to say by the end they all wanted to know if even half the things she listed were true so they all consulted anyone they knew who also knew of Noctiluca (i.e. a great deal of upper class pureblood society). Like a small timber that ignited a blazing inferno their questions started a lot of talking among them bout who this boy was and why everyone who currently attended Noctiluca held him in such high esteem.

This might have worried Harry had it not worked well with everything he was planning, he wanted them to know of him and have the proper respect for him anyway. He would have been worried that this talk could draw unwanted attentions also had he not known that no one in their circles would ever talk to anyone of consequence. It was just like when he brought in his potent healing draught for his mastery, no one in the guild would reveal another Master secrets and no pureblood would reveal anything to anyone they considered 'beneath' them. Really it worked splendidly well for Harry because this way they would _**expect**_ greatness from him hence they would not dismiss him from the start.

--x--

Voldemort rubbed his temples feeling a headache building behind his eyes and his throat was so dry he couldn't talk if he wanted to it was very annoying. He summoned a glass of water to help with his parched throat and decided to go in search of a potion for his head. His manor was in shambles and he hated it as much now as he had when he was a boy. It was the stinking, filthy former home of his disgusting muggle father but there wasn't much to be done about it right now.

He had finally completed the slow process of merging his soul piece with the younger body of his Horcrux a while ago but he would still feel the echoes of it for a while yet. While not very painful assimilating with his soul piece did take a lot of time and quite a bit of his magic. That's not to mention it shouldn't be possible in the first place without remorse but Voldemort was never one to play by the rules.

He had begun to mobilize his followers again, but he was being very subtle about it, no need to give away his element of surprise until the opportune moment. The meetings so far had been very dreary and slow, just gathering his supporter again, establishing he was alive and still as powerful as ever. The Dark would never fight behind a weak leader and so he had to show everyone he was still as great as before he fell.

Things were looking for him, Harry Potter was missing (presumed dead), the Light was losing faith in Dumbledore, he had his body back and his followers were slowly returning to him. He couldn't approach Severus as of yet, the man was too good at his job and couldn't be trusted. He had kept the mark faded for the moment so he wouldn't alert the traitors to his return or the Light he needed time to gather up his army again.

The talks were mostly consisted of updating him about the last thirteen years or so and testing the waters on some of his free Death Eaters. His most loyal were in Azkaban but he couldn't move to free them until he was ready to begin his war, they could wait. Lucius had helped greatly but he still had to be punished for not remaining loyal to him (though privately he could see the point of remaining in power so he could aid in his return).

The manor was slowly transforming into something worthy of his presence now, but it was far from redemption in his mind. Soon he would be ready to begin moving, but for now it was painfully dull Balls to attend to gain the attentions of the wealthier Purebloods. Wars need funding after all and these people had plenty to spare. The first Ball of the summer was being thrown by the Idlewilds, a prominent family and he would have to attend this one with a bit more flare to gain their attentions. It was his attention to details that first alerted Voldemort to the boy, Tristen Winter, who had the society a buzz with anything that dealt with him.

It sparked Voldemort's interest too, as it had everyone's, but he could find out very little on the boy other than that he was held in high regard. That and his Potion's mastery at such a young age, a true prodigy, his luck was looking up indeed just when he was in need of another Potions Master for now. Until he knew for certain whose side Severus was on he could not contact him to commence his duties again so he would have to procure another Master. This boy should be easy enough to sway, most youths are, and he would be attending the Idlewild Ball also making a prefect opportunity to approach him from the shadows.

--x--

Harry smoothed some non-existent wrinkle as he studied himself in the mirror with a critical eye yet again to make sure he looked as prefect as possible. He had a tailored formal suit it was the traditional black but the material was as exquisite as it was expensive. He had a black over-robe that was also black lined with dark green and silver that brought out his eyes nicely. It clung to his body showing off his tone form without revealing any unnecessary skin, though he had added his personally designed runes on the inside so that grace could still coil around his body without restriction (with the added bonus of not showing any tell-tale bumps on the outside).

Tink was still in his core so he didn't have to worry about her messing up his hair, not that he needed help in that department it was as unruly as ever. He had managed to tame it somewhat letting it fall half down half up and letting his bangs frame his face nicely without covering his ears. The half that was up was knotted in the back with a beautiful white gold clasp that was shaped like a snake coiling around his hair (magical of course as it sometimes moved). He had three plain white gold hoops in his right ear and another three in his left with the one Suzie gave him in too (he hadn't taken it off as promised).

His shoes were a polished dragon hide that was both for durability and style one never knew what could happen so it was best to be prepared for anything. Harry had various knives hidden under his clothes along with quite a few of his more questionable potions for that some reason, no sense going in blind. In all he looked gorgeous in his dress robe and was sure to draw more then a few heads, no mind that he hadn't even turned fourteen yet he was still breathtaking. His eyes were really what would draw most to him though as they had an older, unfathomable look about them like they held the entire world in them.

Harry had managed to get Madeline in a beautiful gown for the evening it was a dark sapphire color and had a dipping back that stopped tastefully on her lower back. It had straps instead of sleeves with a high neckline that allowed her to wear a pair of stylish black gloves that covered her mark nicely.

The dress stopped just above her ankles to expose her black stilettos; for jewelry she had a black chocker with a pair of nice ebony studs. Her outfit was simple but it showed off her ample curves elegantly without being trashy. Her hair was out of its traditional ponytail and allowed to flow around her in nice waves with a few clippies of crystal roses to finish off the look. They made a very attractive pair and would floor some people when they presented themselves.

Finally Harry decided they were ready and a very relieved Madeline followed him out the door as he practically glided to the apporation point. They had decided to go that way as the floo or a portkey would just mess up their hard earned appearance at the moment. Harry was mildly impressed when they made it to the Idlewild Manor but none of it showed on his perpetually serene face. Madeline slipped her arm in his when they made it to the doors as they waited for the doorman to announce them; no nervous touched their face as the servant called out "A Mistress Madeline Winter and Master Tristen Winter".

--x--

Voldemort had only been there for about twenty minutes and already he was very ready to go back into seclusion, socializing was just plain dull during these events. He idly wonder where his soon to be Potions Master was, the boy hadn't yet shown up and he was beginning to wonder if he was coming at all. He imagined he would appear somewhat similar to Severus, shallow skin, greasy hair and yellowed fingertips stained from various potions. It should be easy enough to blind him with his face; ugly people were always attracted to their betters after all they liked to gaze at them.

He had recruited enough in his younger years to know how to use his looks to enchant people to following him it was ridiculously easy. He smirked and played his part in the political dance using his power and charisma to draw more people to him that in turn drew them to his cause. When he spoke it was with carefully weighed words designed to gain their sympathy and force them to react.

The Light made his job absurdly easy with their prejudiced ways and blind following like the sheep they were, all he had to do was draw from that. The Dark Families were predators by nature, Wolves or in his case snakes; they were cunning sly and respected power not kindness. To be weak in their eyes is to sign your death certificate and the Light were weak with their pathetic posturing. They threatened the Wizarding World's very way of life with their Muggle loving beliefs, magic was stagnant and dying out because of them!

The threat of Mudbloods couldn't be more real then at this moment, it was only a matter of time before their filthy muggle relatives let something slip and then they were all doomed. They would be hunted down like dogs, burned at the stake or shot down they would be killed. The Wizarding World needed to strike now while the element of surprise was still theirs while they don't know what hit them. These beliefs and many more are what swayed so many to his cause last time, and it worked again 'cause the light had done nothing to fix that threat.

The Ministry was just digging themselves in deeper with all the new restrictions on Magical Dark creatures that had been passed in his absence. They were predators, as he had said, and they could only stand their cages for so long until they decide to kill the keepers. Just when he thought the monotony of the Ball would surely bore him to death the Doorman announced the one boy everyone was very curious to meet.

Whatever Voldemort had been expecting it was not what walked through those doors, he sucked in a quiet hissed breath, the boy was absolute perfection. Without even realizing it he slowly made his way toward him as the boy made his way to the youngest hostess that seemed all to eager to greet him. As he drew nearer Voldemort felt the boy's radiant power, it was as alluring as the strongest Siren's song and it blanketed the very air around him. Not many had the presence this slip of a boy had and he could see from the look on certain people's faces that he wasn't the only one who felt it.

The youngest Idlewild, Cleo he believed, was smiling so widely some feared her face may just split open and she was gushing over the newest arrival like a devote follower (oh, how close he was). When he was within a few feet of them he could pick up just a few words from their conversation, "My Prince!" Voldemort raised an eyebrow curious, he didn't know the boy had a title but then again he knew very little of him.

"I'm so glad you could make it! I've been working myself into knots making sure everything was prefect for you, I know how you dislike coming to these things over the summer months!" Her face was aglow with adoration as she looked at the boy's face, his beautiful prefect face. Voldemort tensed ever so slightly when he saw him begin to speak, "You shouldn't worry Cleo, I have faith in you." His voice was utterly prefect, so soft and smooth like silk running over bare skin…how absolutely prefect a voice for such a prefect face.

Voldemort had to meet this boy, not only for a much needed Potions master but also because he was just to tempting a specimen to pass up. There was also something else, a feeling of knowing him, and an irresistible draw like a moth to a flame there was something about this boy that drew him. Now he just needed an excuse to meet him and he'd work his charms over him like he had so many others.

However, when Voldemort saw the ease in which the boy talked saw how gracefully he moved and how he drew everyone toward him he thought that this boy might be a difficult one to conquer. He stepped back to just watch him for now moving about the room circling him, keeping conversations but not truly playing an attention as he was solely focused on the boy, this Tristen. As he watched he began to notice things, things that just stroked his curiosity more like how Tristen moved so that no one touched him fully.

Or how he drew others to talk to him but never really said a word about himself. It was like watching a younger version of him run around; Voldemort saw the signs of calculated movements and words. He saw the faked emotions in the boy's eyes and the easy way Tristen used his astounding power to bring out a certain hero worship in the younger people. Voldemort saw a lot in the short hour he spent observing this Tristen from a far and the more he looked the more he knew that this boy trusted no one that he did not fall for pretty looks and words.

This boy had a weariness about him that made Voldemort believe more with each passing second that making a follower of him would not be an easy job. It was simple really, a leader does not follow others without some fight and this Tristen was definitely a leader from the way he commanded the crowd, especially that Cleo girl. Voldemort finally got the chance he was searching for to meet this boy through the Idlewild Host by asking about his youngest daughter. The practiced words fell from his mouth without much prompting on his part, 'how is your youngest…', 'no I don't believe I have meet her…', 'well if you insist….'

Simple to manipulate the fool into guiding him to meet his youngest daughter, who hadn't left Tristen's side this entire time and if Voldemort was to meet one…well you get the idea. So not two minutes later Voldemort was staring into the most gorgeous pair of emerald eyes he had ever had the pleasure of seeing. The portly man was introducing him to the Girl and Tristen though Voldemort didn't care very much. He did care when the boy made to speak to him for the very first time, and he was awash with anticipation when he saw those plump lips move.


	10. The Beginning of Something More

**A.N. Hey I meant to get this to you faster but my fingers refused to give back my HANDS!! Seriously what the hell! Thanks to all my reviewers I love you guys you always make my day! Lol ; heehee so Don't hate me about this one guys! No beta as usual so forgive whatever errors you're sure to catch! Also I don't own Harry Potter yada yada (though a man slave does sound appealing doesn't it? –- not tht I'm saying we should enslave Harry…but…;)**

**Chapter 10: The Beginning of Something More**

When they arrived at the Ball they were greeted with hushed whispers and a lot of stares, which didn't bother Harry at all as he was use to it. He saw Cleo first and made his way to greet her, she was a hostess after all. However, as he was walking towards her he felt a curious pull that made him turn ever so slightly to the side to see what it was that was drawing his attention. His eyes found crimson, a familiar shade that he had seen in his dreams a thousand times and he felt like he was drowning.

Harry didn't let it show how much this man had affected him and quietly stood in front of Cleo to offer his greetings, she of course went on ranting right away about making the Ball prefect for him. A few words and her troubled thoughts were eased; it was getting very easy to control his followers he noticed after the marking. Harry felt the man's stare on him, eyes stripping him bare and resisted the urge to do the same to him.

He wanted to know this man with the crimson stare but he was not foolish enough to openly study someone that had such obvious power. Harry saw the way people looked in that man's direction, reverent, awestruck, and he saw how they cowed before him in the subtlest of ways. He knew this was someone important, that much was certain, how important he had yet to discover.

So while this man masterfully studied him without anyone being aware (expect Harry of course) Harry replied in turn studying him just as intensely but below even his radar. The man was incredibly handsome, strong aristocratic face; chiseled jaw line; carefully manicure rich dark brown hair and those eyes, those crimson eyes. He was tall, about six foot three by his estimate with broad shoulders and a commanding presence.

Harry couldn't help but feel a like peeved looking at him, he'd never be tall and he had a naturally lean body so Harry would never be able to cut such an impressive figure. That's not to say he wasn't gorgeous in his own right, and just as commanding but his presence was much more subtle then the blaringly obvious leader this man was. It took him thirty minutes to get the conversation directed to this mysterious man and get Cleo to divulge his identity. He was pleasantly surprised, Voldemort, the once thought dead Dark lord; Harry couldn't honestly say he wasn't expecting it but then again he was never one to jump to conclusions.

Voldemort was still circling him, assessing him with his eyes and judging him for something, it reminded Harry quite startlingly of himself. The way he was judging him for the best approach, the way he used his handsome face to charm the ones around him, the way he used his power, the way he walked, it all reminded Harry of himself just much more bold and obvious. He could see they had similar personalities, but where he was subtle to a fault Voldemort was domineeringly apparent in his command of the room.

Harry didn't think many noticed how Voldemort masterfully manipulated them but Harry did, from one puppet master to another saw and appreciated his skill. Though Harry was much more thorough in his subtlety (at least he thought so) because Voldemort had yet to notice him taking just as much interest in him as he was being shown. Voldemort could either make his plans easier, or muck the entire thing up, which one it would be Harry wasn't completely sure.

So he turned his thoughts to what could have attracted Voldemort's attentions to him, there was no way his well-kept secret of being Harry Potter had gotten out he had taken measures to insure that for the moment. It was also unlikely he had heard of him from his Noctiluca followers, as the students were undeniably discrete about anything dealing with school. Equally it was clear that Voldemort couldn't know of his expressed interest in him for the same reason and he would have approached him already if that had been the case.

No, Voldemort needed him for something, what it was Harry had no idea but he could guess. Cleo's outburst that had caused such a stir before the Dark Families Ball had obviously caught Voldemort's attention and the only thing he could figure that had kept it was his astounding Potions Mastery at a young age. Sure, Madeline had gotten hers much younger but that was a very well kept secret among the Guild as she was a very valuable prodigy.

So Voldemort needed him for something, that could work very well in his favor or it could put a damper on things. Maybe yes and maybe no. He managed to keep the conversation going between them while scooping out the rest of the room having figured out Voldemort's ploy for now. He quickly noticed he was also garnering admiring stares, mostly worshiping ones from his fellow Noctiluca student but a few from slightly older people as well.

Some were even lustful, and that made him undeniably uncomfortable, as he didn't like gaining THAT sort of attention so he shifted ever so slightly toward Madeline for a shield. No one had approached him yet but that was not to say they wouldn't he would need Madeline to fend them off if that was the case. He saw his elite in various corners engaged in what seemed like interesting conversations, but he saw Leon was alone off to the side.

Harry caught his eyes, their gaze connected and Leon got off from the wall he had been leaning against to move towards him. However, Harry caught sight of a familiar blond, one he had been researching the background of for some time and he caught Leon's gaze again. He stopped for a moment, giving Harry enough time to shift his eyes to the blond and back to Leon, the message was clear.

Leon nodded; no words were needed and went off to do as he had asked while Harry returned his attentions to Voldemort who had finally decided to come forth. He was being escorted by a thin, pinch faced man that could have only been Cleo's father from the way her stance stiffened and her well-kept aura flared. Harry didn't like him right off, he had heard too much about him from Cleo to be impressed by his wealth or his control over air.

Voldemort looked arrogant standing there; cocky even, like no one in the room could ever hope to reach his level of power and he held himself like an egotistical King on a proverbial throne. Harry thought that was unwise, arrogance couldn't be afforded in his opinion it made you foolish and weak. Besides, Harry knew better than to think no one could ever reach his level, plenty could and there was always someone out there who was better. He strove to improve himself in every way possible he had no time for conceited arrogance.

Inwardly Harry smirked, Voldemort's arrogance would be a great tool to wield against him and he had no qualms of doing just that when the time came. If this meeting worked out he would get just another valuable player to further his goals, just another piece in his cosmic chess game but he had to be careful. He wasn't the only one gathering players to make his dreams reality and Voldemort had much more experience manipulating his pieces. If he didn't watch himself then it would be him becoming the pawn and Voldemort would be the player.

"This is my daughter Cleo my Lord, Cleo this is the Dark Lord." Harry added the unsaid 'show some respect' in his head and noticed Voldemort wasn't paying any attention to what her father was saying. Neither was he though, because they were much to busy sizing the other up to pay attention to annoying frivolous banter. Voldemort's eyes, a bloody crimson was boring into his own deep emerald looking for something.

Finally Harry couldn't take the stare down any more and said, "Good evening my Lord, I'm Tristen Winter and this vision beside me is my mother Madeline." Madeline blushed at his passive title of mother as Harry had never called her that before but Harry's own face remained as serene as ever. It was as if he was addressing a college and not the greatest recorded Dark Lord in recent Wizarding History.

Voldemort raised his eyebrow at him and turned a charming smile on Madeline, "Surely you jest this beauty couldn't possibly be old enough to be your mother." He captured her offered hand as he said this to brush his lips across the back of her gloved knuckles. Madeline turned a brighter red, not immune to his charms as Harry seemed to be with his impassive face and replied, "I'm his adoptive mother my Lord, and quite proud of the fact." She was smiling brightly.

Harry would have sighed had he been alone but settled for laying his well thought out plan, "Well, I think I shall enjoy those gardens Cleo is so proud of, if you'll excuse me my Lord?" Harry turned slowly nodding his head at Madeline and Cleo saying a brief goodbye, and then walking leisurely away. He couldn't keep the smirk from his face when he heard Voldemort say from behind him, "Wait I think I'll join you, I've heard much about this garden," Harry waited until he felt him standing next to him and then moved on gracefully gliding outside.

The garden was beautiful, many exotic flowers perfumed the air and the night was lit with twinkling fairy lights. It was very peaceful and Harry saw that they weren't the only ones enjoying it, though every one else enjoying the garden were couples. The were silent for a moment just enjoying the scenery and then Harry said, "So you need a Potions Master," before Voldemort got the chance to speak. It was all part of the plan, Harry chose the location, he was directing the conversation and he was in control. It was frustrating to say the least for Voldemort but also very intriguing as it had been a long while since someone had challenged him.

Harry hadn't even broken his serene mask and was just calmly walking on waiting for Voldemort to retort…Voldemort found he impressed despite himself. "Whatever gave you that idea?" he said silkily with a light teasing tone. Harry raised quirked an eyebrow, not fooled, "You're a Dark Lord, there is no reason for you to show interest in me other than my Potions Mastery." "What makes you think I'm interested in you?" Voldemort retorted, tone suggesting that Harry had made a grave mistake but Harry was not backing down.

"You've been watching me for the last hour, if that's not interest I'm in need of an example of what is…" His voice was bland but Voldemort caught the insult in there. Voldemort smirked, "That's not interest that's curiosity and one enjoying the scenery…" letting Harry know that Voldemort had effectively called him nothing but his looks. "Yes, the manor is beautiful," Harry replied not taking the bait, "but what does that have to do with you _stalking_ me?" He took his insult and shot it right back letting Voldemort he was not amused.

"Not stalking my dear Tristen, you're not worth that much effort," Voldemort sneered back, letting his temper show but Harry's face was serene as ever. It was infuriating and fascinating; Voldemort was quickly finding himself enchanted by this slip of a boy without even knowing it. "So you say but there are plenty of others who would disagree, but we did not come out here for light banter Voldemort. What is it you want from me?" Deciding he wanted to direct this conversation back on course to avoid the fight that was coming if he didn't. Harry was quickly realizing Voldemort was a lot like his Tom, quick to temper, a sharp tongue and little patience.

"It would seem I am in need of your services, are you available or are you otherwise engaged?" He bit out; he did not like control being taken from him, not at all. "At the moment I am free, any time in which you wish to contract my services just let me know." Voldemort smirked, "So how old are you?" Harry was slightly taken aback by the comment, no one asked him that and in fact no one besides his inner circle knew of his birthday. "I will be fourteen in a few weeks but I don't see how that's relevant."

Voldemort thought differently because he only marked those seventeen and older. He didn't want to admit he was slightly disappointed Tristen was so young; he was a beautiful boy and interested him in many ways already. "Really, I would have thought you were older with all the attention you are capturing…" he left the insinuation hang and Harry did not appreciate the insult he did not want their attention. Harry wasn't a whore, he might have a beautiful face but he doubted that they'd be looking if they could see his scars.

"If you're insinuating what I think you are I suggest you hold your tongue…or lose it," Voldemort would have been angry if he wasn't so smug about the fact he had gotten a rise out of the passive boy. Harry almost lost it when he saw that smirk on his face, no one got him this emotional besides Tom…not even Alucard could get past his impassive serenity. Voldemort, like Tom, got to him to easily for comfort and if Harry didn't know any better he'd say they were one and the same. Just as quickly as that thought entered it left leaving him feeling slightly dazed like he was forgetting something before he brushed it off.

"Careful Tristen, your emotion is showing," his tone was teasing, and Harry hated it as much as when Tom did that to him before he got a hold of himself. "Ah, I must be careful then, wouldn't want to show a weakness around a predator…that wouldn't be wise at all." Briefly Harry wondered if T-Voldemort was as congenial to all his followers when he wished to recruit them at first. Not that Harry would ever allow himself to be lowered that much as to **follow** another but he did wonder if he was this…gentle with the others.

Voldemort bit back a chuckle at Harry's pass, predator indeed; he was finding he very much enjoyed this boy's company; he was interesting as well as intelligent. They came to a bench that was partially enclosed by the trees surrounding it and Harry sat down with fluid grace. Voldemort sat down with just as much ease, though he managed to make it look much more masculine than Harry had, making him suppress a scowl. Harry knew he would never be the roguish handsome Voldemort was, he was more easily defined as beautiful rather than handsome and it was irritating.

Voldemort's figure dwarfed his sitting next to his smaller lean frame and Harry supposed they made quite the sight that would have been comical had they been less attractive. "It is a beautiful garden," Harry finally said to break the silence that had fallen between them "Quite," Voldemort said "Are you enjoying your time at Hogwarts?" Harry looked at him incredulously before he could school his features against it. "You must be joking?" Voldemort raised his eyebrow at him, "Durmstrang then?" Harry nearly sputtered indignantly but managed to catch himself before he made a fool of himself.

"I have no idea what your talking about my Lord, I attend the prestigious Noctiluca Academy I would never lower myself to attend either of those worthless schools." Voldemort was taken aback by Tristen's malicious tone and wondered why he was so set on this newer school when Durmstrang and Hogwarts were so legendary. No one had ever told Voldemort about Noctiluca, everyone assumed he knew and most thought he'd attended there in fact. So Voldemort had no way of knowing that his question was very much an insult but Harry had no way of knowing that.

Harry, like the rest assumed Voldemort knew that Noctiluca was the first Magical school ever founded by Morgan and Merlin themselves. Even so Harry bit his tongue against striking back with something just as insulting because he needed this meeting to make the right impression. That didn't mean, of course, that he'd remain in Voldemort's company for much longer anyway, he hated being treated like a child. "Owl me with the details of the project you wanted my Lord, if you'll excuse me I see someone I wished to speak with Good evening." Harry left before Voldemort could protest and left him wondering where the hell he went wrong.

He found Leon lounging at the entrance gate obviously waiting for him and looking very pleased. "So how was it Leon?" "Malfoy is defiantly part of the inner circle, but I suspect he, Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle are the only ones free of Azkaban at the moment." "Good, I've established contact with Voldemort already perhaps they'll be useful in the future." Leon nodded but grabbed Harry's wrist before he could breeze past him making Harry freeze at the contact for a moment.

Harry turned to Leon to give him his full attention but Leon didn't let go of his wrist. "Yes?" Harry asked a little caution in his tone. Leon didn't pay it much mind though and pulled Harry closer to him forcing Harry to place his hand on his chest to avoid falling into him. "Tristen," Leon's voice was strangely soft and pleading making Harry look up to lock gazes with his eyes, "Why must you avoid us so?" Harry opened his mouth, he tried to deny it but the words stuck in his throat he knew perfectly well that he did avoid true connections with them. Leon was the only one that really noticed it though, as he was great at avoiding it and directing their attention elsewhere.

"I don't know…" that was a lie but Harry wasn't about to open himself up to Leon, loyal follower or no it was to close to him. Leon looked sad briefly before he just smiled sadly and started to lean down ever so slowly giving Harry plenty of time to turn away if he so desired. However, unlike last time Harry had been in this sort of situation he found he was leaning in wanting the contact, the touch. Leon grew more confident and swiftly captured Harry's lips before he had a chance to change his mind. It was gentle, just a pressing of skin against skin but it was prefect…a prefect first kiss. There was a snap, like someone stepped on a twig and Harry pulled away quickly.

--x--

Voldemort had sat on the bench for a minute or so musing on one very interesting boy before he got up silently to follow him to see the person he had to speak so urgently with. When he found them he had to stifle his jealousy, there another boy with ruby hair was holding him without protest. Then, when the boy started to lean down his intentions clear Voldemort was sure that Tristen would pull back but he didn't! Instead he leaned forward ever so slightly giving the other boy courage enough to capture his plump lips in a gentle kiss.

His nails cut into his hands from suppressed rage; he was furious and insanely jealous of the slip of a boy kissing anyone else. If Tristen were to kiss anyone it would be him! Then Voldemort realized how irrational it was to be this upset about a boy he barely knew, but he couldn't help it, so he was about two seconds away from cursing the ruby boy within an inch of his life. Just as he stepped forward to do just that a stick snapped beneath his foot causing Tristen to pull away from the other boy abruptly and whirl around to face him.

When he saw Voldemort a blush rose to his cheeks making his startled face glow and the dim lighting added to the affect making Harry look very alluring like that. When Voldemort saw the blush, he paused, the picture was just too much and he found himself wondering where that particular blush ended. He licked his lips at the images that conjured up and the action seemed to snap everything back to place as Tristen departed exceedingly fast as if to escape the embarrassing situation.

The other boy with ruby hair was scowling at him but Voldemort just smirked, unreasonably happy he had ruined that moment with HIS Tristen. Because he had decided Tristen would be his the moment he saw that delicious blush on the boy's prefect face. That decided Voldemort followed the ruby haired boy back into the main Ballroom to search for Tristen to express his new developing interests.

--x--

Harry was more then a little confused, he had let Leon kiss him, enjoyed the contact even but when he saw Voldemort standing there he had felt incredibly guilty. It was as if he had been caught doing something wrong and Harry didn't like that feeling in the least. Leon was a loyal follower and ally that had gained his respect. He was devoted to his cause, whatever that might be, and worked with him to achieve his goals. He deserved to be rewarded for his services not punished for acting on his desires and if Leon wanted to kiss him, Harry wouldn't stop him.

Leon was closer to him then any of his other elite, well besides Madeline, and he knew Leon wouldn't have done something like that if he hadn't thought of the consequences. Though the way he had reacted to Voldemort was troubling, Harry just didn't understand why he had been so embarrassed to be caught kissing Leon. He had never been that mortified before over just one small thing, and it wasn't as if he'd been showcasing his scars. Usually he only felt that self-conscious when someone was looking at his body because it made him feel so vulnerable.

However, the kiss hadn't made him feel that way, it made his heart speed up and hands shake but in a good way. Even when he had pulled away it was a different sort of embarrassment than with his scars, when those were revealed he felt shame but when he had looked at Voldemort all he felt was guilty. It didn't make any sense! He barely knew Voldemort, he knew of him, of course but this was different it wasn't like he had known him for years like Leon (or Tom).

Harry pushed it out of his mind for now and went in search of Cleo; she was to perform today in front of everyone and Harry was sure she would be feeling very nervous at the moment. When he found her she was talking to Ophelia, Flora, Fauna, Logan and Alex about something…she did look very nervous. As Harry walked up they fell silent smiling and greeting him in turn.

"It is good that you are here," Harry said in his smooth voice that caused the elites to stand at attention at once, "I have some things I wished to tell you." They all looked eager to hear what he had to say, everyone was standing at ready, "This summer I have planned a trip for my Archangels and in two weeks you, along with the rest, will be summoned to my side. You are to be gone for a good while inform your parents as such." Harry commanded tone leaving no room for disagreement…not that any one of them wanted to as this was one of his first serious commands outside of school and they were impatient to prove themselves. "Good, inform the others." They nodded their heads rapidly silently waiting for Harry's next move.

He turned his attentions to Cleo then, "I expect your performance will go brilliantly, do not doubt yourself Cleo, I have faith in you." She had tears in her eyes as Harry said exactly what she needed to gather her confidence enough to do as well as they knew she could. Harry nodded to her, still keeping contact to a minimum even among his elite. While he could see her extreme desire for a touch from him, he couldn't move to do it. He settled for a slow acknowledging nod that brought a huge beaming proud smile on Cleo face and she puffed up with pride.

So when she took to the stage, Harry sent a flurry of lights to surround her and willed the others to dim, everyone's attentions centered on her. Cleo felt his magic, knew Harry was doing this for her, giving her the chance to be in the spotlight and it brought tears to her eyes though they did not fall. His magic was as immense and comforting as always as she begun to sing…voice so sweet it could make a grown man cry. It was all for him, for her Prince, and she sung her heart through the lyrics with his magic pulsating around her drawing her into his comforting presence.

Harry watched her, allowing his magic to do most of the work, and all the while keeping an eye out for his two interlopers…ones he knew who wanted to talk to him. Leon was by the back entrance, waiting for him and even when he showed no signs of coming Harry knew he would wait there until the last moment. Voldemort on the other hand was slowly making his way through the darkened room towards him and something in his eyes made Harry nervous.

Through the link in his mark he called Madeline to him, and turned his attention back on Cleo who's singing was enchanting the room. Madeline wasn't to far away, she made it to him just as the last lines of Cleo's song ended and the lights erupted around the room once more. The applause was thunderous, but Cleo only had eyes for him, she made her way to him totally ignoring her family who was awaiting her on the other side. Voldemort had been stopped in his advance halfway across the floor from the crush of people wanting his attentions.

"My Prince, Thank you…" she had tears in her eyes and he could tell she wanted to embrace him but refrained from doing so in light of his sensibilities. "You did well Cleo, I am proud of you." She practically glowed from the small praise (then again it was way more than she had ever gotten from her family). "I will take my leave but remember to be ready to go…I have much to show you, my faithful and very little time in which to do so." As he said this the member of his inner circle walked up to catch his parting words before he left, Madeline in tow.

--x--

Madeline paced her room again, looked at her vanity mirror, paced some more, looked out the window, paced again and then went back to the window to stand still looking out into the dark night. She wanted to pace more but stopped herself, she would have to make a decision about this soon otherwise she'd die from the stress. Harry was out there, she couldn't see him, but he was…he was out there torturing someone for his research again.

It wasn't that she cared about the Muggles, quite the opposite in fact, but the look Harry got in his eyes when he returned from one of his 'trips' frightened her. His eyes looked so hallow, so lonely, so _**dead**_, and she had no idea how she was supposed to handle the situation. Madeline was a gentle person, unless she was provoked then all bets were off, but she was gentle nonetheless…she couldn't stomach the idea of killing someone for the hell of it. Yes, to avenge her family, to protect her loved ones, or to fight for her ideals Madeline wasn't above maiming another.

However, Harry was just a boy, as much as he didn't need a mother now Madeline wanted to be his mom. A mother protected her child…even from themselves and Harry was killing a piece of himself with every filthy muggle he tore apart. Then again, maybe it was just her; maybe he needed this to vent his emotions that he keeps so bottled up. That started her pacing again because she had no idea how to handle this…what was a mother supposed to do when her child is a psychopath?

She sighed heavily; this was all those damn Potters' fault if they hadn't abandoned him to the storm of Muggles and their hatred then Harry wouldn't be this way. Underneath that entire icy exterior that Harry kept up was a very soft, kind, considerate little boy who needed love just as much as anyone else. Harry was so careful with his friends and his followers (she fingered the mark on her arm) he made sure that they were taken care of…emotionally and physically.

Madeline saw the goodness in him under that hate and it moved her as much as it terrified her…that one so bright could be so dark was utterly frightening. Harry was such an odd mixture of things, sometimes he was so gentle…so dazzling that one forgot what he was capable of and then he could be so dark that it could scare the life right out of you. Harry was the light and he was the dark…though he was neither…it was all very confusing and gave her a very horrible headache.

What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to encourage him, encourage his darkness and need for revenge because she felt it too? Or was she supposed to consol him afterwards…to make sure that light in him didn't go out with his atrocious deeds? Harry was the center of something much bigger than her…Madeline could feel it down to her very core but she loved him as she would her own blood. She didn't want such madness for her son, no, she wanted to see him happy…truly happy for once in his life. Harry deserved happiness and Madeline decided right then that was what she would strive to give him.

It didn't matter that he had a monster beneath his skin or that he was the angel that brings so many hope…Harry was her son all she could do was love him. Madeline stopped her pacing and gave a huge breathe of relief…that settled that then. She would love Harry, do what she could to see him happy and protect him…it was all she could do as his mother.

Madeline looked out the window to see Harry going up to the backdoor, covered in blood, and knew what she needed to do. She strove out of the room on a mission, usually she avoided him like a plague when he was in one of 'those' moods but right now Harry needed to know something words could not do justice. She met up with him in the hall; he looked surprised to see her, and engulfed him in a tight hug…blood and all.

It wasn't that she was embracing him that made this moment special…it was the symbol of her embracing EVERY part of him that made his shoulders shake in suppressed tears. Harry did not cry, wouldn't allow himself to, but he did let Madeline a little further into his jaded heart where only a few had been able to penetrate. Madeline was embracing the killer in him, the leader in him, and the boy in him in one fell swoop. This was something that even Harry hadn't known he needed, complete unconditional acceptance.

--x--

It was going to be a very long day…that's all Sirius could think because his day hadn't started off well at all and it didn't look like it'd get any better any time soon. Whoever started that ridiculous rumor about him being gay would need to die a slow painful death!! Not to mention the added bonus of them saying he was either involved with Remus or James (with Lily in some freakish triad) it was just plain scarring. He shuddered, Sirius had always been the ladies man and now everyone had their doubts on his preferences…it was more than a little humiliating!

He was almost positive it had been Snape who started this whole thing, but then again hardly anyone paid attentions to the rambling of an ex-Death Eater. He sighed unnaturally depressed it just wasn't fair! All the girls he tried to hook up with doubted his motives…some even had the audacity to ask if it was okay with Remus or James!! Now normally he wouldn't have minded so much, even would have had a laugh out of it but not now!

With Azkaban and the whole mess with Harry, Sirius had been finding himself thinking about his life a lot…about who was missing from his life more like. Sirius really wanted a wife, he wanted what James and Lily had…a family and someone to look forward to going home to. Not that he wanted to leave his friend's home but he was just ready for his own now, he wanted the whole nine yards, wife, kids, and the house with a picked fence.

However, with this whole 'Sirius is gay or has multiple lovers' there wasn't many girls looking at him for a serious commitment and it was going to be hard enough considering his playboy status to find a girl! Now he had to add in some weird fetish girls coming after him, along with one-night standers and 'ex-con' lunatics! How in the hell was he supposed to find a suitable wife in THAT mess!

It almost made him wish his mother was alive, ALMOST; then he would have had an arranged marriage a long time ago and wouldn't have to deal with this crap! Sirius ran his hand through his hair, not to mention the added stress of the tournament, the whole Harry thing AND trying to get over his nightmares of Azkaban it was just not his year! It was a good thing that Lily was so bossy otherwise they'd never get anything gone around the house in all this mess.

He resigned himself to looking for a wife some other time, at the moment he needed to concentrate on Harry and preparing for the tournament. Those rumors did grate him though…but he decided to lay the blame totally on Snivellus and made plans to prank him mercilessly the coming year. Now if he got James involved than they'd have a real party…James always had the cruelest…ah coolest…ideas on what they could do with seemingly 'harmless' pranks! Oh, he was feeling better already!

--x--

Neville sighed as he dug up the ground to soften the soil for his newest transplant, a devil's snare, and tried very hard to forget all the troubles in his life. For not the first time he really wished his parents were okay, that they were here with him not lying in some hospital bed wasting away. Dumbledore was upset with him again because he couldn't perform the Patronus charm yet even after six months of practice! It wasn't his fault he had very few really great memories and most of them weren't strong enough for that charm to go corporeal.

Suzie was helping wherever she could but with his tutoring sessions and classes he had very little time to hang out with their 'misfit' group. Gran wasn't helping either, kept going on about how his father would have done better, how his father wasn't such a disappointment and so on. Neville knew it was mostly her wanting his father, not him, that made her come down so hard on him. She wanted him to be his father, literally, and the stress of it was making him fall apart at the seams.

The worst part of it was how they all kept saying how disappointed his father would be, how his mother was so superior at spell casting and how he should be in Hufflepuff not Gryffindor. Neville really wanted to believe his parents would have loved him no matter what the consequences, no matter how well he did or didn't do. He really wished he could be loved like that…not this headache inducing circumstantial love. Suzie was a great relief most days, she kept saying how he should take charge of his own life and that no one could judge him but himself.

He really, really wished that were true but it wasn't…more than anything Neville wanted to make his parents proud. Even if he couldn't be with them now, he stilled hoped for the day that they would wake up and smile at him…no disappointment in their eyes. He was waiting for them just like they were waiting for him; Neville really loved his parents and would do what he could right now so that when they woke they were proud. Besides, the only ones he had that could tell him how his parents would have reacted to him were telling him something very different tan what Suzie was telling him.

They were all he had to measure himself by, the only connection he had to his parents and he would do as they said for now because he had to. Neville wanted his Parents to wake up to a son they could be proud to call their own, not someone who was a failure. His expression turned grim as he thought about, about all the disappointment that followed him like a white on rice…and he was sinking lower into himself as he did.

He sighed and got back to his Herbology, the devil's snare wasn't about to plant itself and he had a lot of work this summer if he wanted his green house to be prefect by September. He pushed all criticism out of his mind and concentrated on his one passion in life. Dumbledore and Gran be damned he would die before he gave this up, no matter how much they wanted him to so he would focus on spell work.

--x--

When he took the stasis charm off the body, blood very literally drenching him as he did but Harry couldn't bring himself to care, he was so close! A few changes and he would be able to fully counteract the affects of the Cruico Curse! He would be one step closer to stopping the unstoppable! He was too exhilarated for bed so he just banished the body to the others and went on to the next room intent on finding the solution he was SO close.

Too close in fact to stop now, Harry was sure he'd be finished with it by morning if he worked all night and he wanted this done before he went ahead with his other plans. The woman in the next testing room whimpered loudly when he entered, still dripping blood, and if he hadn't sewn her lips shut he was sure she'd be screaming. He waved his hand and the blood disappeared, he wouldn't want to contaminate the potion after all with foreign blood.

The woman's head was shaved but it had been full of red hair when he had taken her…she had hazel eyes. She had been perfect; he couldn't resist taking her when he had seen her in front of her perfectly normal house. The woman groaned as he approached, he had been putting her under the Cruico curse for the last few days and Harry was quite certain she was nearly insane by now. Still to be sure, he raised his wand and cast the spell with relish.

She convulsed, the expression on her face was pure agony, tears streamed down her face and her lips bleed profusely as she tried to scream even though her lips were sewn shut. It was beautiful. He let a devilish little smile twist across his face, his research would turn the world on it's head one day but oh, did he enjoy discovering these things. Finally he lifted the curse, watching her twitch every few seconds and then stop completely not moving.

He thought she might have died but upon further inspection he realized that she had gone into a cationic state, with a glazed look in her eyes that flew wildly around every few minutes. It seemed the curse had taken its expected course and caused the telltale misfiring of nerves in the brain, which lead to insanity. Now the tricky part Harry sealed the woman's head with a focused stasis charm he invented himself and went about removing a part of her skull to give him an open view of her brain.

This took more time than he thought it would because he had to cast a few rapid-fire charms to keep the blood from hemorrhaging and ruining his experiment. Once Harry had her head cracked open it got simpler (or as simple as one could get during a basic brain surgery) and used his various spells that allowed him to observe the firing of the nerves on the microscopic level. He found exactly what he was hoping for (not to mention expecting), the Cruico had run the nerves down and the nerve synapses weren't sending the impulses right.

Carefully he took his latest version of his potion and using a syringe, cautiously, he dripped a bit of it onto the damaged tissue to see what reaction it would bring. For a minute or two nothing happened, making Harry slightly disappointed her brain hadn't overheated like the last few. So he waited patiently for the results of this one to be made clear, with a swell of triumph he watched the nerves begin to repair and start firing at a normal rate.

Harry watched her eyes, looking for further proof that this last batch was working and he wasn't let down when he saw the glazed look in the woman's eyes slowly turn to horror. She was terrified but she was AWARE! It was working; he switched his attention to the brain wanting to make sure there were no visible sign of defects. There were no defects he could see but he watched with an amazed eye as parts of the brain that were usually inactive began to show increased activity.

Then the woman started to twitch again, next she started to foam at the mouth, and then as he watched the nerves synapses overloaded frying her brain (literally). She was dead within thirty minutes after the introduction of the potion but it still furthered his intelligence on the subject.

Quickly he turned to his notes to jot down, 'Subject #67, Batch A, Compound C, FAILURE, however, subject lasted twenty minutes more than predecessors. Potion too Potent? Gender influencing results? Be sure to look into Compound C to see if the affects can be minimized. Also look into side effect of increased brain activity as it might be used to increase intelligence…further testing is required.' Harry was sure he was close, so close he could almost taste it! Harry was just a few more tests away from discovering a counter for one of the unstoppable curses; he knew he would manage it soon! Sighing he realized he might have been too optimistic to think he'd find it tonight, within the end of summer…now that was feasible.

In the mean while Harry was curious about the increase in brain activity in the usually dormant parts that he saw in this last one, and he was interested in seeing if this potion could have a beneficial side-effect. The increase in activity suggested that the subject would be able to increase cognitive thought and Harry was fascinated with this prospect. Maybe if he worked it right this could be one of his cast-offs that he could use to his advantage, like his potent healing draught, this batch might lay the groundwork for another potion. Quirking an eyebrow at the thought Harry swiftly pulled out a blank workbook to pen down his ideas on it, if what he was thinking of worked Harry might be able to create geniuses from idiocy…or at least increase the brain activity safely.

--x--

Severus scowled at the brewing potion, hating the fact that Dumbledore was making him do this for him. The Wolfsbane potion might have been his invention but he had invented it out of necessity not some misguided attempt to win over his hated rivals! Now he had the remaining Marauders to look forward to contending with this coming year and not to mention his unrequited love. This year was not going to be pleasant, not in the least, if the Marauders didn't kill him the idiotic children surely would.

He felt the incoming of a horrible migraine and he nearly started cursing up a storm out of pure frustration. Not only did he have to deal with the Marauders, Lily but also a Tri-wizard Tournament that was sure to bring MORE reckless children to him than usual. It was enough to make him question his decision on the side he choose, had he made the right choice siding with Dumbledore? This wasn't the first time he had asked himself this and it probably wouldn't be the last.

Voldemort was a lot of things, none of them pleasant but at least he was truthful in his demeanor not the conniving gentleness that Dumbledore displayed. Plus, Voldemort had heeded his wishes and hadn't outright killed Lily…just as he had begged for though not quite what he was expecting. Lily hated him now as much as ever and he was dreading the day they would have to confront each other on that. He had never stopped loving her, not even when she had married _**Potter**_, but she only held him in contempt.

Severus wasn't sure what more he could do to gain her forgiveness, what more could he possibly sacrifice to appease her? He had turned his back on his beliefs, on his comrades, on his very self in order to see even the possibility of her forgiving him and to this day he had yet to receive any sign that would happen. Severus hated to admit, even to himself, how much it truly hurt to have his first friend turn her back on him.

Sighing he went back to brewing the damned potion finding none of the usual pleasure in it. He was more than dreading the coming year; he was loathing it and its daunting possibilities. What the hell was he supposed to do surrounded by enemies with no one to turn to? It looked as if he might need to spend most of the year in the relative safety of the dungeons than risk becoming a target out in the open.

He felt the consuming hatred for the Marauders once again as he realized he was about to become a prisoner in his own school once more. It was enough to make him consider quitting and running as far away from Dumbledore as he could, just to escape them not to mention his past. He finished this batch quickly and then decided to turn his attentions away from the daunting future by concentrating on the Potion Guild newsletter he had received that morning.

Everything in it was normal as always, something he relished in because soon normalcy was going to fly out the window to be fit by dragon flame and burst into ash. He quirked his eyebrow when he read the part about Potions Master Winter (Madeline) and the latest advances by him. It seemed he had taken a newer angle on the calming draught this year and made progress on making it less likely to lead to addiction. On a side note he read that Potions Master would be out of commission this coming year due to certain circumstances.

That was a pity; Severus had gotten great enjoyment out of reading what this particular Master was up to as he was always searching for something to advance. Severus liked inventing new potions but he rarely let the guild in on his many progresses for want of privacy. He suspected that Master Winter did the same and only let out his more mediocre potions get into the guild's hands. His research alone showed such stunning potential and advanced thought that Severus wished he could meet him one day to clash minds. Now that would be an experience.

--x--

It was amazing how fast the two weeks seemed to fly past, before Harry knew it the day had come and he was doing the final preparations before he would call his Archangels. He slung the backpack he would be taking with him, put his money in the charmed wallet in his pocket and checked himself in the mirror. His lip curled a little at his reflection as he had gotten used dressing more formally.

He was dressed in plain blue jeans, a simple white tee with a leather jacket, and his traditional combat boots that he'd taken to wearing. He had his hair pulled into a low ponytail leaving his longish bangs to frame his face and revealed his pierced ears. In all he pulled off the normal teenaged muggle looked nicely and he could see no signs that would alert the muggles to him being…'freakish'.

Harry mentally went through his supplies, he patted his various hidden knives, double checked his emergency potions (hidden in his boots), and adjusted his wristbands that hid the scars on his wrists. He shifted the backpack fully onto his back and made his way outside sure that he had not forgotten anything. He left a note for Madeline on the kitchen counter, picked up an apple on his way out and made his way outside the wards surrounding his house.

Though he trusted his elite one could never be too careful and besides he liked the thought that only two people in the world knew where he lived, one being him. When he got to about two miles from his house he closed his eyes and called the ones he was taking on this trip to him, i.e. every of his elite except Madeline and Sarah. He felt the same rush of pure power when he forced those people to him and nearly lost himself in the euphoria for a minute.

In no time at all Cleo, Ophelia, Flora, Fauna, Simon, Logan, Alex, Gabriel, and Leon were standing before him with their trunks in hand. He very nearly smirked at their expressions when they saw him; their mouths were agape in shock, because none of them had seen him wearing something so casual. They eventually recovered enough to pay proper attention to him though and soon the clearing they were in was filled with the chaotic sound of a lot of people trying to ask something all at once. "Silence," everyone immediately shut their mouths out of reflect, "I'm sure you all are curious about my attire but first I want each of you to change into these."

That said he started to pull out various outfits from his backpack and started to hand out each of them one, complete with everything from underwear to shoes. They all nodded and went off to get privacy to change the girls going one way while the boys went the other. When they got back Harry nodded in approval, they each looked like perfectly normal muggles, though he did resist the urge to sneer at them thinking that.

"As I'm sure most of you have ascertained we are to make an expedition out into the _muggle_ world (they heard the disgust in his voice). I have many reasons for doing this but the most prudent at the moment is that we are going to study the enemy, as the saying goes 'know your enemy better than you know yourself'. This is also so that those of you who have yet to venture out into that cesspool they call a world can gain the experience you will need later." They all nodded it was very logical after all, because how were they supposed to bring about their destruction if they didn't know them.

"Now, I want you to change your trunks into a bag like mine, once everyone is finished I will lead us to the first place we will go. Since most of you haven't been to the muggle world we will be taking portkeys to our first destination and from there we can acquire more, inconspicuous modes of transport for the muggle world." They all voiced their agreement and quickly set about doing as he asked. However Harry noticed that Leon was watching him more closely than he used to and that he seemed to want to speak with him. He had an idea what Leon wanted but decided that it could wait until later when they settled down that night.

--x--

Meanwhile Madeline was pondering the benefits of being an internationally certified Potions Master while walking down a quiet street in Rome. Italy really was one of her favorite countries and so she never minded it much when someone called for her here. Though she did get a kick out of their expressions when they realized that Potions Master Winter was a woman and not a man…part of the reason she had stressed to the guild to NEVER call her a Potions Mistress officially. Besides Madeline wasn't ashamed to admit that she was something of a feminist, being called a Mistress when she was a MASTER just rubbed her the wrong way.

She had just gotten one of the more challenging assignments from a client a few days ago and had immediately packed to be off to Rome for the job. The research they had as utterly breath-taking and the detail…well she was almost in tears when she was given access to it! The best part had to be that they didn't even KNOW what they had was so valuable and it had only taken a little bartering to get permission to copy them. Not that it would have stopped her if they had said no anyways but the legal tie ups would have been sorely unwelcome now with this coming year.

She stepped out of the quiet side street and onto on the crowded market street heading off to the local 'portal pub' which would lead her to the Magical world. It was pathetically easy to slip from the crowded street into an equally crowded magical pub with no fuss; really Rome had its benefits. As soon as she got onto the magical alley she breathed a sigh of relief, as always the rush of magic felt like coming home.

Madeline couldn't fight the smug smile that bloomed on her face as she thought back to the Tortaga family and their naïve trust in the Potion Guild. Not that it mattered much at the moment Maddy was more interested in the ingredients she could find here as opposed to England that had stricter laws on what was considered 'illegal'. A couple hours later she was just about done and more than ready to head home to a nice hot bath.

However, just as she was making her way to the portkey point, used by the Guild to travel internationally without the hassle of checkpoints, something caught her eye. Madeline paused mid-step when she saw it, all fire-engine red and chrome plating, more than a little surprised seeing it here on the Magical side than she would have been to see it on the Muggle one. A sport Motorcycle, beautiful, fast, sexy and magically modified making it her very own wet dream! It had to be the most, enticing, things Madeline had ever come across because she wasn't above admitting she had something of an addiction to an adrenaline rush.

In fact she was half convinced it was because of her affinity for fire that made her so drawn to things that could easily kill her if she did one thing wrong…well in this case if she crashed! Like the lure of a siren's song Madeline couldn't stop her feet from going to it, nor stop her hand from caressing the fine Italian leather on the seat. The motorcycle was about as fast as the British Firebolt but it had more options even though it had less turning capabilities obviously. It was muggle, and thief repellent. It had a low powered shield against hexing, standard sizing charms, an invisibility button, it could fly of course, a few hidden compartments, a never ending supply of 'gas' and it even came with a nice simple streamline black helmet.

Madeline chewed a little on her bottom lip, as she was prone to do when she was thinking over something, while running a shaking hand over the bike caressing it like a lover. Finally she made a decision just as the salesman noticed her for the first time and before he could say anything Madeline was already haggling the price. One two hour long argument, a contract including a warranty, a leather jacket and matching boots later Madeline was driving off into the horizon on her brand new bike. She practically started to coo at it when she felt the prefect purr of the engine and hit the accelerator going for that rush of adrenaline.

--x--

"Welcome to America," Harry said softly as he turned to his elite gesturing behind him where the abandoned alley they landed in opened up onto a busy street. "We are here for one simple reason, to know our enemy. I will be showing you how hypocritical, filthy, disgusting and evil Muggles truly are…then you will understand what we are up against." Sighing Harry turned to solve the problem at hand, they would need a mode of transportation for the muggle world and so he headed toward the opening in the alley (his followers trailing behind him like obedient puppies).

The noise that assaulted their ears when they left the relative confines of the alley was immense and those whom had sensitive ears cringed visibly (i.e. Logan, Alex, Simon, and Ophelia). Harry had chosen a town close to Los Angelus for precisely this reason because his elite needed to see the worst of them. He scanned the street not paying much mind to the Elite who had started to huddle a little bit behind him as were currently eyeing the passer-bys suspiciously. Smirking just a bit when he found just what he was looking for a nodded to Leon calling him to his side, "Keep them here I'll return shortly."

Leon nodded his acceptance but he looked weary…he wasn't the only one, soon as Harry left they all started to fidget nervously trying hard not to choke on poisoned gaseous air. Harry in the mean time headed to the local Starbuck's parking lot and waiting for the owner of the Hummer to head toward the vehicle. He came out laden down with coffee cups in one hand while the other fiddled with his jeans pocket fishing out his keys. He was distracted so he never saw Harry coming and with a simple wave of his hand the man's eyes glazed, a common symptom of the Imperio.

Silently he directed the man to the car while vanishing the coffee from his hands and jumping in the passenger seat he waited for the man to get situated. Then he directed him across the street and had him pull into a familiar alley where his elites were awaiting his return. They had an awful surprise when the monster of a car pulled up alongside them having been used to the classic design when dealing with cars. Harry hopped out of the car and said, "Well, get in" spoken with a bland tone that moved them away from shock into accepting in a moment.

Harry took the front seat, Leon sat behind him, and the rest just spread out from there though they did have to expand the car a little to fit everyone. No one paid the 'driver' much mind and soon they were off speeding along the highway. Harry turned on the radio, tuning it low at first, "Muggle are low creatures but they do have a sense of taste when it comes to harmony within their music…though that is mostly due to the fact they have no magic to synchronize…but no matter I thought we would benefit from listening to what they can play. They have a variety of styles so perhaps we could use some of their inferior works to help us further our own." This was said with much distaste, they could almost hear him trying to make his mouth form the words that were almost a compliment but they said nothing just listened to the music as Harry turned it up for them.

He'd chosen L.A. for a variety of reasons, it was dirty, it was gang infested, and it was known for the strange enough for some weird things to go unnoticed. When they finally reached there he directed his muggle puppet to buy him a suite at a rather expensive hotel while they waited in the car. Then Harry lead them to their rooms when his puppet returned and they had a hell of a time accepting that the elevator only went up and down. They got situated pretty fast, the puppet would sleep on the floor like a good dog, the girls would share rooms the twins in one and Cleo/Ophelia in another. The boys were a little more difficult, Gabriel and Simon shared one room; Logan and Alex shared another and that left him with Leon.

The problem was that Harry's room only had a king sized bed as it was the master, sure he could have transfigured it into two but he didn't want to insult Leon. After their Kiss however this definitely wouldn't be comfortable for him no matter how much space was between them. Nonetheless Harry decided to put it aside for now and went about talking to his elite about what they'd seen so far and their reactions. The suite had a sitting area (relatively big though Harry still expanded it), a kitchen and private bathrooms for each room…expensive but worth it. Not that they were paying for any of it so that really didn't matter much to Harry as he was contemplating killing his puppet at the end of this anyways.

He sat at the recliner that he faced to the couch that all his elites were currently lounging on (with Cleo sitting on Ophelia's lap but she didn't appeared to mind). "So what do you think?" The question was open to everyone and everyone similarly had an opinion they wanted to express.

"It _**STINKS**_!" (Ophelia)

"They are filthy, there is TRASH just about EVERYWHERE!" (Simon)

"They're too loud…" (Logan)

"They don't have…" (Flora) "…Any dignity!" (Fauna)

"They are very rude." (Cleo)

"They are very violent…" (Gabriel)

"Everything is so…DIRTY…" (Alex)

"None of this makes any sense, they do not even hold the barest forms of etiquette!" (Leon)

Harry would have been smiling at their reactions if he didn't have such a firm hold on his serene mask and as it was he was having a hard time not showing how pleased he was. The entire ride here they had been looking out the window, the muggles hadn't disappointed Harry showing his elites how terrible they could be. They had watched people shouting at people; others throwing trash on the ground, graffiti was everywhere and no one up held the barest forms of common curtsey to each other. Really Harry couldn't have PLANNED a more effective way to showcase the Muggles then what they had already started with, and it was all going very smoothly in his favor.

He smirked, "Perhaps it is time to go among them now that you've had a chance to observe them?" Harry raised his eyebrow at their incredulous expressions and smirked, "We'll be going to a night club…I trust you all can manage to change into the appropriate attire?" He didn't wait for them to accept and swept past them heading to his room he shared with Leon, smirking wider when he heard Leon laugh loudly. Apparently Leon found the whole situation as amusing as him, and just this once Harry found he didn't mind hearing laughter so much.

One thing was for sure…this summer was going to be an interesting one. When he got into his room Harry opened the balcony doors just in time for a rather formidable looking owl to swoop in with a richly elaborate envelope tied to its leg. Harry knew Voldemort had finally decided to contact him then by just looking at the owl and the letter. The whole appearance screamed arrogance, something he was beginning to expect from Voldemort as much as he expected it from Tom.

Thinking of Tom made him pat the front of his leather coat where the diary was concealed in a hidden pocket as Harry had gotten into the habit of not letting the book from him. Something was coming, his entire being buzzed with it and it was not just the progress he would make this summer. Next year would bring a whole another level of intrigue into his life; Harry knew this, because he would be attending the Tournament amongst Hogwarts where his enemies would dwell. He took the letter with a hard look in his life as he thought about it and waved the bird to perch on the balcony's railing to await his reply. Yes, a very interesting summer indeed.

--x--

Voldemort paced his study more then a little impatient to get his reply from Tristen, the owl and letter that had been sent out hours ago had yet to return. He couldn't understand why he was so drawn to the boy, yes, he was undeniably very powerful, yes, he was a beauty one rarely saw, and yes, he was very skilled. However, he was still just a boy, barely fourteen, and yet every time his thoughts always strayed to him.

Tristen had enchanted him that night at the ball and from then Voldemort had been searching for a way to dissuade himself from his growing obsession with him. It wasn't helping that his spies had yet to obtain any background information on him besides that of his adoption. No one knew whom Tristen's real parents were, where he came from, not even his birthday! It was as if had just appeared one day out of the blue, which was impossible because even muggleborns have a history before they appear in the magical world.

But there was nothing and it was as infuriating as it was intriguing, the puzzle that was Tristen was growing with each report. Voldemort couldn't help but be interested; riddles had always captivated him even as a boy and Tristen was certainly a riddle in of himself. Pushing it all from his mind for a moment he tried to concentrate on his war plans, as they were much more important than a beautiful green eyed mystery.

He had been making great progress with the dark families, funding was underway and the Dark allies were beginning to meet everything seemed to be according to plan. The vampires were refusing his advances again, though that wasn't surprising, as they hadn't sided with him in the last war either. The pureblooded Werewolves seemed to be moving every time he got close to discovering their dwellings so approaching them right now was out of the question. However, the mongrel pack under Greyback had already renewed their allegiance to him and he was almost ready with his Death Eaters.

His Death Eater ranks were considerably thinned but he was in the process of replenishing them…still he definitely needed to get his inner circle out of prison soon. However, he still hasn't found a way to do so without tipping off his enemies so he decided to wait until he was ready to do that. His base, the Riddle House, was obscure enough most wouldn't even guess where his headquarters were located.

Voldemort had to do a lot of reinvasions to the manor to make it suitable to hold a Dark Lord but he was close to finished and would be able to start calling his follower there soon. The Death Eaters were a few thousand strong but they had gotten lacks in this time of peace and retraining would be required. Really he needed his elite so he could free up his time furthering his progress in the war not spending his time training up them. Very suddenly a wicked grin spilt across his face, perhaps if his elite were just happen to escape then he could dissuade some suspicion for a while.

Sure, Dumbledore wouldn't be fooled but he would never know for sure if HE was alive and gathering his followers or if they just happened to escape. That would give him an advantage and have Dumbledore jumping at shadows something he could only benefit from, yes; his elite would be free soon. Now that was decided he went back to the problem at hand, why certain groups seemed to be avoiding him more vigorously than was normal. The Pureblood werewolves were flat out avoiding him this time were before they had just refused, the vampires were very tight lipped about something, and there was something else that was bothering him.

Recently there was a whispering among the darker forces of another force, not Voldemort himself, that was stirring things up and things seemed to be moving toward that. Voldemort scowled thinking that if it was another newer Dark Lord trying to usurp his position that he would die a painful death at the TRUE lord's hands. However, that was not what the whispers indicated, just that something was moving things that had been sleeping for a very long time and that it was very powerful magic. Even he could feel it somewhat, that stirring that something BIG was coming there way something that would change the world, as they knew it. Like a force of nature not something as mortal as another Dark Lord, it was disconcerting to say the least to feel as such.

Shaking his head he began to pace again and his thoughts were drawn back to Tristen, to the emerald-eyed beauty that had enough power to draw him, HIM, Voldemort. Tristen was definitely a prize worth the chasing, but it was worrisome that the boy seemed to posses his thoughts so. His knuckles tightened remembering the kiss he'd stepped in on…a kiss that should have been HIS and that infuriating ruby haired boy. Possessiveness gripped him as he thought about it, he wanted Tristen and he would have him if it meant the world had to burn for it to be so.

Voldemort snapped out of it when he realized where his thoughts were going again, and scowled really what was it about that boy that affected him so. Before when he had wanted someone he would have had them and thrown them away by now it well out of his system. However, with Tristen it felt different, it made his blood boil to think of anyone else touching him EVER not just when he was done with him either. No one should be allowed to touch such a powerful beauty but him, even if he had finished himself with him Voldemort knew he would never allow anyone else to touch Tristen. Tristen would be his forever; there would be no escaping him once he had him in his grasp.

Shaking himself Voldemort once again asked himself what was so special about this boy that distracted him so, and drew a blank. Tristen was just someone he couldn't forget…worse someone he didn't **want** to forget. Voldemort wanted to remember the way his lips parted when he was angry, the way he flushed when he was embarrassed; he waned to remember every feature and every look. Tristen was perfection and refused to leave him in peace…capturing his thoughts and distracting him really the boy was impossible. He had jus meet him once, a brief few minutes and already Voldemort found himself captured…but WHY? That's what it always came down to WHY was he so enraptured by this boy? What was it that drew him…why?

**A.N.: Lol I know not my best but whatcha gonna do? PLEASE review guys I love to see your thoughts and it motivates me to writing more! Lol Next Chapter: When Worlds Collide…I know hate me! Bow Down to the Shadow Lord Harry MUAHHH! …oookkkkay no more sugar for me before I write these I'm getting stranger than usual! Lol Ja ne wickedlfairy17 **

**p.s. my HANDS have highjacked my body! send HELP!! SOS oh no they woke up!! RUN RUN RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!! AHHHHHHH (okkkayyy no more sugar for me!)**


	11. When Worlds Collide

**A.N. So I'll make this short! Lol or try to anyway…well this chapter got away from me again and for a while there I got a little suck! Lol I'm not sure I've done my best on this one guys so please don't be angry if its not the best! Anyways thanks so much for your reviews! I've topped 400 and almost cried! Love you guys! As always I OWN NOTHING!! ; Please review and try to overlook the errors I don't have a beta for this story! Its hard trying to correct your own work! Lol I hope I've done better! see you!**

**Chapter 11: When Worlds Collide…**

The music was giving him a headache, a pounding techno pop that Harry was quickly growing to hate and the air was clogged with many different noxious smells that made it hard to breath properly. Cigarette smoke, sweat, alcohol, and buzzing sexual energy…yes, definitely, the perfect choice for their little adventure. He could already tell from the looks on their faces they hated it but were biting their tongues wishing to please him. That was all right he would get them complain long and hard later in the privacy of their hotel room, for now he would expose them to the enemy.

Harry moved through the crowd with the ease of years of practice keeping from contact with the surrounding crush of people…his elites were not so skilled however and were bumping into almost everyone they passed. He made it to a back booth that was shadowed and near the rear exist, ideal for a strategic retreat should the need arise. One cold look from him had the muggles loitering their scurrying away like the roaches they were, finding their nightmares in his pitiless eyes. A discreet push of magic scrubbed the booth clean until it almost shone like new and Harry sat down fluidly while putting up privacy wards without much thought.

They were all looking at him expectedly now, like their purpose in this new world would be suddenly revealed if they waited long enough and he was not amused. They were here for many reasons, some he had already stated, others were more for his benefit than theirs and it was not their place to seek those from him. He placed a firm hold on his mask of serenity, having found that during the summer months, it was harder for him to hold than during the school year and gave him his patient leader look that put them at ease while hiding his annoyance.

His elite had long since gotten used to his expressionless serene mask and had taken to using the look in his eyes to judge his moods, something he wasn't above using to his advantage. They were his followers first and foremost, valuable knights on his chessboard and not insignificant pawns like some of his marked so he gave them some illusion of intimacy with him. Only Leon was not fooled by his eyes, he knew better than to judge him by his face and was somewhat tense in his seat. This only made Harry smirk in satisfaction inside, secure in his choice of right hand and then focused on addressing his trusting followers.

They were awaiting orders, some with more sensitive senses were looking distinctly uncomfortable (Logan the most) and so Harry decided he would give them one. "Go find a muggle, target them, learn _everything_ about them and then return here with your choices in an hour. Do not return before then, dismissed, Logan stay with me." They all got up to do as he ordered, though they looked distinctly unenthusiastic about the whole thing and within moments they had disappeared into the crowd. Logan looked downright miserable in the club, his expressive violet eyes were dark and Harry could almost sense the small whimper in the back of his throat.

"Logan," he looked up from the table across from him startled, "Come here" he patted the empty space beside him and Logan scooted over to it. Without a word Harry raised a gentle hand to the back of Logan's neck to stroke the mark there and almost instantly the rooms noxious toll dimmed for him. Logan didn't raise his head though and let Harry continue to stroke his exposed throat, even going so far as to lay his head on the table for easier access. Harry almost lost his control over the mask then, as it was all too tempting to smile about Logan's submissive behavior.

It was ironic in a way that he had managed to capture at least four very strong players with little to no effort on his part and terribly amusing. Logan was the son of the pureblood pack's current Alpha and had been raised from conception to replace his father when the time came. The pureblood werewolves were very different from their mutt counterpart in many extreme ways, some even Harry himself wasn't privileged enough to know (yet) and it had been fascinating over the years to study their culture.

For one a pureblood werewolf was just that, pureblooded, they only married and reproduced with other werewolves something similar to the pureblood wizards. There is where the similarity between the wizards and werewolves ended though because the pack was much more primal and savage than their wizard counterparts. Logan was descended from a long line of proud pureblooded werewolves and his linage could be traced back almost two thousand years, a mighty feat for anyone. His family lines were bred leaders, trained by leaders and destined for leadership from the moment of conception. Logan had been raised since he was a pup to be an Alpha, the leader, a boss, even now at such a young age he had a certain degree of control over the younger generation in his pack.

That was why seeing him so submissive was quite amusing to Harry but it wasn't surprising in the least not really…not for him who had been Logan's confidant as much as he's been the confidant of all his elites. Logan was a good leader for the werewolves, strong, confident, proud, intelligent, but there were times when Logan doubted himself. Sometimes he doubted his ability to lead and control something as wild… as primal as the werewolf pack. THAT'S when Logan sought him out, seeking guidance or sometimes just an ear; Logan leaned on Harry to lead when he was afraid to…in this why Harry had tamed Logan's beast.

Even in his werewolf form Logan saw him as his superior and treated him as such, it was very amusing but Harry was careful not to let anyone outside of his circle see that. To let the pack see his position as Logan's Alpha and not the Beta they believed him to be could spell disaster for Logan for his rights as heir would be challenged. The same could be said about Simon, Alex, Leon and to a certain extent Gabriel as well. Simon was of royal descent and while he wasn't heir to the Elvin throne he was close enough that his words would throw some weight around. Simon was loyal to him though and as a human it would not be okay for him to show his obedience to someone they considered 'lower' than them as a race.

Elves were a proud people, proud and stubborn if they thought that Simon had submitted his will to a human, any human, than his influence among that court was lost. The same could be said of Alex, he was the son of a Master, though not the first-born and as such not of ruling position unless someone was to die…he did have a close enough relationship with his Father to be a powerful ally. Alex, Simon, and Logan all had been raised to be the dominant players in their respective circles; however they all bent to HIS will. That was power right there, just those three and he could be a force to be reckoned with, should he choose to use those ties.

But that wasn't all; he also had Leon, a fire elemental and one of the candidates that would eventually rule the Fire Tribe. The Fire tribe was very interesting to say the least; of the four main elemental tribes it was the most warlike in its practices and principles. While Leon never really 'submitted' to him as the others had because of his upbringing he did acknowledge him as the better leader. Leon was more a partner than anything else really because he did not act as the loyal follower but as a loyal friend…perhaps his only one excluding Tom and other non-humans (like Tink and Morgan who is a portrait technically not human).

Leon's tribe were very well off, but they had remained true to the old ways as such as a member of the current ruling family he had been trained from the day he could walk the 'way of the warrior'. However, Leon had been trained more as a fighter than a leader as that role had always been his brother's place and which was why Harry still beat him in their mock wars. Gabriel was not of the same status as Leon in his Water tribe, he was of a lower family despite his family's wealth.

Like how the Fire Tribe had remained warlike even over the centuries, as the constant wars had started to fade the Water tribe had also keep it's traditions. They were a peaceful group but they had a strict code of lordship, the ruling matriarch remained the ruling matriarch unless death caused otherwise. So the current leader of the Tribe was not as rich as Gabriel's family but still held the commanding chair. Even without that ruling seat however, Gabriel had enough money to influence his tribe well enough. That and his friendly attitude had gained him a friend with the current Prince to the throne, Edmund, so he had the royalty's ear even without his wealth to back him up.

Certainly a feat, Harry still stroked Logan's mark lost in his thoughts of how each carefully cultivated relationship with his elites had gained him more than just a strong player. The twins were one of many but were from a wealthy respected family that had a very deep spy network. The Twins' mother was a Siren and a well-informed gossip; she loved to know everything important about anything important, no matter where it was in the world. It was something their mother had picked up from the family line and had put her powers of persuasion to good use making an extensive network of informants.

It was that which had helped elevate them to such a high status actually, as their mother had used that information to navigate the stock market earning them quite a pretty penny. There wasn't anything that they couldn't find out or obtain if you were willing to pay the right price of course. Very useful in their own way and one hell of a resource should he ever need it. Ophelia mother was a Furie, a very well connected one at that and one that had her claws in the Romanian government. Really she was a very useful tool not just for her skills with the wand.

Cleo was from a well-connected family, most of her influence laid in the pureblood wizard circle as her family hid their creature backgrounds very skillfully. It was through her Harry had gotten in contact with Voldemort and in that of itself was an impressive feat for one so young. Connections were everything in this world or any other for that matter, it was all about whom you knew. It was another form of power. As he mused on the finer points of power, his elite slowly made their way back to him each towing along a dazed muggle freshly put under the Imperio Curse. This time he didn't hold it back and he smiled wickedly at them, something that had frozen each of them in their steps with a fear gripping their hearts.

--x--

Madeline arrived home tired and sore all over. She groaned as she somewhat limped into the front door and immediately noticed the note floating above the kitchen counter. It was from Harry with the usual, gone off here, be back soon, see you mom and signed with his elegant scrip at the end. But there was something about it that brought happy tears to her eyes, and made her smile a mega-watt smile that somewhat hurt her face.

Ever since she had worked up the courage to give him that hug that night Harry had refused to call her anything but MOM **even** in private. The first time he had done it she had cried, it was something that she could never replace, that moment and she was fairly certain she would use it for her patronus charm if the need ever arose. She had graduated to mom now, Madeline Winter, a mother, it made her grin silly as she stumbled along to her bathroom.

The Master Bedroom was hers and had an adjoining bathroom that was exquisitely done if she did say so herself…she had practically made it after all. The tub was big enough to fix two people comfortably but wasn't the swimming pool monstrosities she'd see in some wizarding dwellings. Madeline ran piping hot water and went to her counter for her various bathing potions she'd created especially for herself.

It might have been somewhat vain but Madeline had invented various potions to help with the residual side effects mainly associated with Potion Masters. Namely the pallor skin, stains, greasy hair and generally poor appearances brought on by over exposure to potion fumes. Really it wasn't HER fault that the treatment did wonders for her skin, body and hair…really…okay it was a very good accident.

Besides appearances had some power, Tristen, and Kade to an extent, had shown her that so using her natural assets preserved by potions was more of a power play than anything else. Still, some part of her liked feeling pretty after spending years of being told otherwise and being treated below dirt. Madeline stripped quickly and a sigh escaped her lips when she slipped into the tub immersed to the neck in nice hot water with messaging jets. She didn't put much stock into make-up, didn't put very much effort into being beautiful and she wasn't very vain like most women. However, she did love a good nice soak in her personal spa after a long day…hey she was a human and a woman after all!

Slowly she felt her muscles become goo and let her mind wander off to wherever it wanted to at the moment. It seemed her relaxation wasn't to last as she soon found herself contemplating the upcoming year and more accurately, whom, she would be encountering in the upcoming year. Madeline had already resolved to hate Lily Potter on principle alone, she downright despised James and anyone associated with them after she had put her ear to the ground so to speak.

Being a Potions Master had its benefits after all, you just had to know how to use it and Madeline knew how to use it…very well. She had learned quite a few very disturbing things about the Potters and James' gang, the Marauders; antics weren't helping them gain any favors from her that's for sure. The people she had met had gone on about their cruel pranks and how annoying Lily had been…how self-righteous she had been too.

They were perhaps the most prejudice family she had ever had the displeasure of hearing about and the worst part was that they hid behind an all-light façade. Really, it was very sickening and Madeline wasn't very enthusiastic about meeting up with them this coming term. She could already tell that they were going to all sorts of problems when they discovered her son was their abandoned one…and she was under no illusions thinking that they wouldn't discover it. All she could hope for would be that she was strong enough to stand up for Harry the way he needed her to. She sighed and dunked her head under the water forcibly pushing it from her mind…Harry was HER SON now nothing would change that.

--x--

Getting back to the hotel was easier than leaving it because Harry allowed them to portkey directly into the suite along with the dazed muggles accompanying them. However, even though his face didn't show it inside Harry was seething and wasn't at all pleased on what he saw on some of their faces. Ophelia was the one he was most concerned about because she was the one taking the most care with hers…almost like she cared what happened to the filthy woman.

He did not like where that thought was leading, not at all, he had wanted them to learn about muggles from the source so that when they moved against them they would know what to expect. But it didn't look it was working in his favor it looked as if they had actually sympathized with the lowly creatures now…like they actually cared what happened to them. The worst thing that could have happened was the elite thinking the muggles were actually HUMAN…they weren't they were hateful, horrible monsters that haunted his every nightmare.

Suddenly angry he grabbed Ophelia's muggle faintly hearing her cry of protest before throwing the thing to the ground with satisfaction. The muggle woman was slowly coming out of her dazed state, eyes becoming clearer and fearful. Ophelia tried to go to her then but Harry had lost all composure as the craving in him took over his senses. He wanted blood, hot, sticky, crimson blood; he wanted to wring it from this muggle and paint the sky red with it.

Unaware, Harry didn't know that his elite were slowly backing away from him in fear, still keeping a firm hold on their muggles and trying to understand what had happened to their kind leader. They had never seen Harry's eyes that way before, dull, haunted…so **dead** looking and it put a godly amount of fear in their hearts. His face was no longer serene but jaded like a stone statue…totally dead of all expression. Something Madeline would have recognized and would have warned them bout had she been there.

His power whipped about him and he brought it down so forcefully on the muggle that she couldn't even scream, at first, the pain was so intense. When she did start to scream it echoed in all their ears, her sobs pulled at them but they dared not approach their detached master for fear of him. They watched in horror as she thrashed around on the floor, screaming, crying, and beginning to bleed from her eyes with mocking tears of blood.

Through all this Harry remained unaffected, like he was just watching a bug die not torturing a woman to death _right in front of them_ like it was nothing in the world. Most of the boys were somewhat torn between their loyalty to their leader and what they were seeing with their own eyes. Flora and Fauna were curiously the ones coping the best with this scene as their love and adoration for their Prince overruled whatever he may do.

Cleo was shaken, the woman's screams for help were getting to her and watching her be put through what Harry was doing to her was making her physically sick. Ophelia was the worst off as she had felt a connection to this woman she had brought to her prince, to this torture, this woman she knew so much about. Harry looked as cold as ever, colder even, and his expression reminded them eerily of a corpse as he tortured the woman on the floor.

However, they didn't know Harry was reviling in her screams for mercy, in her pain, because it silenced his own even if it was only for a moment. He was just putting her through the same pain they had given him, it was only fair that he give it back wasn't it? Only fair that they suffered as he had suffered, that they fear as he feared and they scream for him because he could not. She was a good screamer, it was like she was channeling all the screams he had ever wanted to make…maybe she was, but he wanted her to more scream for him.

She screamed louder as he brought more of his magic into hurting her. It wasn't the Cruico, no Harry had found that curse was lacking in providing enough pain to satisfy him. So instead he had created his own form of torture magic a while ago and he relished using it to it's fullest. The magic was tearing apart her body from the inside, organs, blood vessels, muscles and all the while repairing them just as painfully, so it would last. It was a truly beautiful thing, only made possible by his extensive knowledge of the human body and how things worked.

The woman was not screaming now, just begging to die, pleading with him to end the pain but Harry was not done with her, far from it in fact. Finally Ophelia could take it no more, "PLEASE! Just kill her already! Show Mercy my Prince MERCY!" Ophelia fell to her knees begging him to stop, begging him to just end it for the crumpled woman on the floor. Harry turned cold eyes on her than and it was as if her very heart had frozen in her chest from apprehension. "Mercy…"his tone was soft, dangerously so and his eyes showed a glint in them that made the deadened orbs seem all the more horrible.

A slow, mocking, twisted grin stretched across his face, a more barring of teeth than a smile making him seem all the more horrible and frightening. "MERCY!" Harry would have laughed then if he hadn't despised it so and twirled around to dance with light feet around the bloody mass that used to be a woman…she whimpered fearfully as he got close. "She would have me show you mercy," Harry said in cool mocking tones, "So I shall show you mercy…" he said it forcefully and it was like a blow to them all.

Violently he grabbed her arm jerking the bloody mass of her up and she screamed in pain once more from the harsh movement. Harry paid her no mind though as he dragged her along the floor to the window that was in the sitting parlor pushing it open brutally making the glass bang as it opened. He pulled the woman to him gripping her arm and grabbing her waist all the while putting heavy layers of muggle repelling charms on her.

The elite stood frozen unable to make themselves move, Ophelia remained as she had been on her knees trepidation gripping her as she watched him, wondering what he was going to do. Harry gripped the woman and began to jerk her about in a horrible parody of a dance in front of the gapping open window. "I'll show you mercy," he said in quiet tones, so quiet they had almost not heard him and just like that, he flung the screaming flailing woman out the window. They heard her screams as she fell and Ophelia had rushed to the window just in time to see her smash into the pavement of the alley below them. The charms going to work keeping the bloody mass from normal muggle eyes but that only made it that much more appalling.

She fell to her knee and slowly lowered to the floor under the windowsill, mouth agape and still not quite comprehending what just happened. In shock she turned confused eyes on Harry, working her mouth like a fish as she tried futilely to form words, finally she managed to stutter out a "W-why?" Harry for his part just looked at her in indifference and a relaxed ease that made them all shiver. How could he be so calm after torturing and killing someone?

Harry turned on his heel gliding away from the window to come to a stop in the pool of blood that the woman had left behind and set stone cold eyes on his elites. He made eye contact with each one of them, as if he was searching for something in their eyes that they were not aware of and all the while not saying a word. The silence was like a heavy shroud hanging over them and the tension was so thick they could hardly breathe. "Why…"he said in even tones, barely above a whisper but it echoed throughout the room like a shout.

He turned hazy eyes on them and then threw off his jacket roughly, "I'll _**show**_ you why." He said as he started to unbutton his shirt and a few in the room tensed knowing some of what he was going to expose (only Simon knowing the true extent of what lay on his back). He was facing them when his shirt came off leaving his chest bare to expose a flat toned stomach with odd silver scars dancing across his skin every so often and a patch of emerald where Tink laid cocooned. It wasn't so horrible his front, you could see a few scars, some running down from his shoulders and others from his sides.

However, as he turned to expose his back to them there was an audible collective gasp that ran through the room and set a fire in their eyes. "This is what happens when THEY discover we are different!" The muggles had long since been put under a sleeping spell and set to a corner of the room so he spat in that direction with his turned head. The thick roped scar exclaiming the word F.R.E.A.K. seemed to blaze from his back at his words, and suddenly they understood just a little bit better.

His elite began to comprehend what it meant to have those scars crisscrossing their Princes back and a slow boiling hatred started in their stomachs. "To them there is no unique, to them we are nothing and we deserve this…deserve to hurt for what we ARE! I was a child when they did this to me…I couldn't fight back and they did this to me with smiles on their faces and laughter on their lips…I wasn't anything but a freak…" His voice started out strong but gradually got softer as he went along and finally he could take their stares no more so he grabbed his jacket off the blood-laden floor to return to his room trailing blood behind him as he went.

After he had gone no one spoke for a long time, each trying hard to grasp the situation and while some (mostly the girls) understood the emotional side to it…others (mostly boys) let their rage take hold. With revenge on their minds suddenly the prospect of hurting the muggles wasn't so terrible any longer and soon more screams filled the soundproofed room. As they took out their anger on the faceless masses of muggles, each of them pictured the ones who had hurt Harry as the one under their wands.

Harry swept into his room clutching his jacket that dragged along on the floor making thumping and scraping noises as the zipper scratched the hardwood floor. His upper body was still exposed leaving him in just a pair of fitted jeans and his heavy combat boots that clunked as he walked, now that he wasn't putting an effort into keeping them silent. The weight of what he had done was pressing down on him and his shoulders sagged as if the burden were literal instead of metaphorical.

He had let his emotion get the best of him tonight, let his hatred run him yet again, and he had let something as personal as his scars be uncovered due to his getting carried away in the moment. Harry just couldn't understand why they could feel sympathy for the monsters he was hurting and he had went against his better judgment tonight. The night was taking its toll on him but Harry refused to give into his exhaustion just yet. He let the jacket slip from his grasp by the bed and continued onward towards the balcony doors, which opened on their own as he approached (his magic helping it along of course).

It was a cool night with a clear sky but he could see no stars, the muggles produced too much pollution in the air and it shielded the sky from his view. Harry was angry, with himself and with this night as nothing seemed to have gone the way he had envisioned it. He reached the ledge and gripped the iron handle of the railing until his knuckles turned white from it…everything just seemed to be crushing him tonight. He couldn't breathe with all the horrible memories crowding around in his mind and all the emotional turmoil that came with it was stifling.

Finally when he could take no more Harry jumped up on the railing balancing precariously on the edge and summoned his violin from his hand. He began to play, furious notes filled the sky, everything that was killing him on the inside was released out into the world and storm clouds began to gather as he played. He played harder, and harder trying to get out through music what he could not say aloud. There was a thunderclap, loud, booming and it echoed throughout the city as if it was some ominous warning of things to come.

More thunder, then a CRASH of lighting flashed through the sky in an angry way before the heavens opened up and a weighty rain started to fall. Harry paid this no mind, focused solely on playing and boots firmly on the railing a precarious holding that kept him just barely from death's grasp. He started to shiver as his jeans soaked through and the rain ran rivulets down his bare chest, the cold began to seep in. Still Harry concentrated on the music he was making, long angry notes, to short perk rebellious ones and the thunder joined in to make a symphony.

His heart was beating furiously, adrenaline from the thought of being perched on a thin railing hundreds of feet from the ground, made him faster and with more passion than before. He played one, for hours it seemed but in reality maybe only fifteen minutes before he felt something…a very familiar darkness had slunk onto his balcony. Still, he ignored it and continued to play, even as the darkness cast wards on his room to keep the others out he still played with a fury in himself. It was like there was a fire inside of him burning him up and eating away at his very being, his only salvation coming from the melody of his violin.

It took another ten minutes for the last cords of the song to play out and still he was left feeling wanting…like he was missing something. If anyone asked him to replay the sequence he would have to decline as he barely remembered it himself and it was just the pure emotion he'd put into the song that had given it life. The rain continued to beat down on him as he felt his violin return to his hand and still he stood on the edge…a living metaphor for how easy life could end. It was beautiful in its own dreary way and none of this really penetrated into Harry mind as he stood as if in a daze.

There was something missing now, something that he had thought he had just a minute ago it seemed and slowly the knowledge of what was missing crept up on him like a corpse from the grave. His elite understood now why he hated muggles so but they would fear him now…because they had seen the monster under his skin and had turned away. They were his allies, not his friends, and now even that small part of him that had considered the possibility was gone. Crushed by their rejection of all of him and he knew now his only constant 'real' person was Madeline…his mom. Now more than ever he was grateful for finding such a wondrous person even if she was insane for loving him, even if it was only as a son she was insane for loving a beast.

Thinking of beasts he turned ever so slightly to glance behind him to see the darkness awaiting for him on the balcony, Alucard, he always seemed to show at the most inconceivable times. Belatedly Harry thought of what he must see looking at him with his back bared for the world to see, how ugly he must be to Alucard. On silent footsteps Alucard approached and ever so slowly his hands snaked around his back to clasp his front. His face was right about where the small of Harry's back was and even in the rain the coolness on his breath gave rise to goosebumps along his arms.

"You called little one and so I have come, what is it that troubles you so?" He asked in silky tones while caressing the flat planes of his stomach. "I have no inclination as to what you mean." Harry replied in even blandness but still there was a wispiness to it that gave him away. There was a dark chuckle that made heat rise to his face when Harry heard it knowing he had been discovered in his ill-conceived lie. Truthfully, Harry had no idea what he had been thinking when he reached out through their bond while he had been playing. Maybe he just didn't want to be as alone as he had thought he did…maybe it was because having Alucard touch him made him feel alive. It didn't matter though; reasons aside Alucard had responded to his call and was currently pulling him down from the edge.

As Alucard took him down he turned him so Harry ended up facing him while being held up pulled flush against Alucard's chest, who gave him his patented wicked smile. It made Harry's heart speed up in a confusing way and his face tint a soft pink in embarrassment. Alucard didn't wait for him to adjust to the situation and before he could register what was happening Alucard's lips were on his giving him a passionate fierce kiss. Harry was too stunned to protest and while he still had his advantage Alucard snaked his tongue in to explore his mouth.

The kiss was very different from the one Leon had given him and despite everything Harry found himself responding to the harsh domination in the kiss. He started to imitate Alucard and soon the kiss got more heated. In a daze Harry dimly was aware when Alucard stepped back into his room, as he was no longer being pelted by the rain, still he was too lost in the sensation of wanting to care. There tongues began the duel for dominance but Harry conceded quickly bemused by the effort Alucard was putting into it. This way of touching someone was so different from the ways he was used to and Harry was finding himself becoming addicted to the feel of it.

He felt wanted, craved, _needed_ and safe in a way that he had never experienced before, it was like he finally found something to smother that loneliness inside of him. He was distracted so much by it that he didn't really care when Alucard slipped his coat, hat, and sunglasses off. Nor did it really penetrate his clouded mind when Alucard laid him down on his bed to cover his body with his own. He had been so cold before, now all he felt was heat and it was amazing…so amazing he did not want to stop. This was giving him comfort in a way that Madeline's hugs sometimes did, and he did not feel that terrible loneliness as much as he had before when he was in that room with his terrified elites. Eventually Harry needed to pull back for air but Alucard didn't let up his attentions and immediately began placing kisses down his jaw line.

Paying special attention to his neck Alucard was quickly robbing Harry of all ability to think and when his canines elongated to sink ever so slowly into his flesh all thought abandoned him. It was pure sensation, pure FEELING, because he wasn't allowed much else as Alucard gently began to suck at his pulse point. The blood coated his tongue like nectar and went down like honey…divine in taste. Harry moaned loudly beneath him, arching up as he keened softly and the breath was stolen from his very lips.

Alucard continued to suckle at his neck for long before he returned to plunger Harry's inviting mouth and devour his swollen pouting lips with uncontained glee. Harry was responsive, for once in his life not thinking past this moment, and he was allowing himself to be trapped in the ecstasy of oblivion. Alucard had long since taken control of the situation and was reveling in the supremacy of dominating one so very powerful as Harry. It was truly the most exciting thing he had done in a thousand years, and his hands began to wander seeking to claim his prize running along smooth skin.

However just as Harry lost himself to the pull of reckless abandon a searing unforgiving pain shot through his invisible lightening blot scar that made him writhe and pull back from pain. Harry thrust Alucard away from him as more pain laced through him and made him bite his tongue for a distraction. He tasted blood as his teeth cut through his own flesh and still he did not care as more pain pooled horribly behind his eyes. With gritted teeth he waited for it to pass before sitting up shakingly in his bed and painfully standing while heading on unsteady feet to the adjoining bathroom. Alucard made as if to follow but Harry was too angry about the whole day to suffer him, so with a little forceful push from his threatening Magic, he reluctantly let the darkness take him away once more.

He dried himself off, threw up in the toilet, changed, dried the bed, picked up the diary and then past out with little more thought about the day knowing that tomorrow would not be much better. Unconsciously his magic kept up the wards in his room even though Alucard had long since vanished, he did not want to deal with them anytime soon and sleep would not come easily otherwise. It would be a long night, filled with painful memories from the past and a daunting unreliable future. However, for the moment none of this touched Harry as he slipped off into blissful darkness clutching an old worn book to his naked chest as if clinging to it was his only lifeline.

--x--

Ragnook wrung his hands nervously while standing outside the glided doors that would either lead to his promotion or his destruction. This was not something he really wanted to have to do, after all who would willing WANT to face the fiercest Witch ever born, more cunning than a goblin, more conniving than a snake and more tricky than a Sphinx. Morgan was really the one thing in the world that frightened the goblins more than death… because really death was merciful she was not. Gulping the small creature gathered up the tatters of his courage and entered the chamber with more than a little trepidation.

Her portrait was there in all it glory hanging above the desk and looking for all the world like an imperial queen not some enchanted piece of art. Like with all things magic appearances were deceiving and seeing her face made a cold sweat break out on his body as he approached bowed low. "Speak Ragnook! Have the preparations finally been taken care of or do you need to see the Handlers again?" her tone left no room for anything but good news, he was really glad he had some to give.

"I've taken care of everything Mistress, all you have asked for has been acquired and all that is left is for your ward to enter the Chamber. All is ready for his time of ascension…" He kept his back bent in a low bow one never knew what would please her and what would insure a long stay with the Handlers. A shiver went down his spine, for all the gold in the world he did not want to return to **them** any time soon and preferably never again.

Glancing up from his place facing down he saw the satisfied smirk on her face and slowly some of his anxiety left him though some still remained bubbling in his gut stirring dread. "You have done well Ragnook, well indeed, I have find that I am pleased with you. Seek out Swiftrod and tell him you are to be promoted to overseer. If he objects…"a cruel smile flitted across her face "…send him here and I shall see him spend a month with the handlers for his insolence." Ragnook nodded hurriedly and left as fast as possible wanting to be free of her presence.

He did not envy Swiftrod at the moment, he was in for a lot of pain, nightmares and begging before the day was out if he knew him well enough. Still even though he was pale and shaking there was a fierce smile on his face that was often coined by Goblins…he was heading up in the world. Really, the only downside he could find in his life was the increased time he had to spend with his Mistress…still one couldn't have everything.

--x--

Jumping at shadows; that's what this town was doing, jumping at shadows. So afraid of what they couldn't see they disregarded what was before their very eyes and that was what Harry was very much counting on. After that incident in the hotel room his elite had packed up and they had continued their trek through the muggle world. The day after had been awkward and silent, but Harry had acted as he always had treating them no differently. As a result his elite believed they had gotten closer to him, become more of a staple in his life when in reality the truth was by far the opposite.

While they felt closer to him, Harry felt more distanced form them and though it did not show outwardly Harry couldn't have felt more alone. Leon could have guessed had Harry shown any indication of this but he hadn't so even his right hand was left in the dark. They had been traveling for about two weeks now and they were drawing nearer the time of their return to their world. Harry just had one more stop and then his introduction into this backwards world would be complete.

This Town was their last stop; the name wasn't that important so Harry had never bothered to learn it. It was a quiet little place, miles from anywhere significant and it had a culture all its own. As with most small towns, everyone knew everyone and the local religion was interlaced very well with this town's everyday. That religion was Christianity in this one and on a Sunday everyone was in Church paying his or her respects to God.

Which is why no one noticed when a band of teens appeared out of nowhere in the middle of Town as no one was around to see it happen. Harry had saved this place for last for various reasons, one being his unnatural obsession with John Milton's Paradise Lost and in effect an equal curiosity in the bible. This Town would solidify many of the points Harry had been trying to put across to his elite and it they didn't hate muggles by the end of this day they never would.

He had come across this town during his previous travels and had been appalled by their absolute devotion to their faith; a devout Christian was a disgusting thing. When he had visited here last he had gone in disillusioned so as not to draw attention to himself as a stranger and he had spent the better part of a day observing them. The sermon the Pastor of the Church had given that day was ripe with the Hell's fury passion and God's forgiveness. It had been enough to make him sick, really, and it hadn't taken much to push them into the archaic ways of thinking about the Bible…especially the old views on 'witches'.

A few minutes later the invisible group of teenagers were entering the open doors of the Church and taking seats in the back row away from the muggles. The Pastor had just finished his opening announcements and was on his way to a riveting speech about the 'evils' of giving into any sorts of 'temptations'. A few lines suck out to Harry, like 'Merciful God' and 'Damnation'. He was very amused by this as to him; there was no such thing as a **merciful** god…a vengeful god, a hateful god, a terrible god perhaps but not a merciful one. Everything he had read painted God more as a kind of kid playing with an ant farm, burning random ones with a microscope and generally not giving a rat's ass about anything.

If there was a merciful god why did he allow so many to suffer, no, there was no such thing. Still he listened on as fascinated by his sermon, as he had been of the book by Milton, "All rise for Prayer" the Pastor called out and soon all the Muggles were standing. Harry didn't pay much attention to it at first but then one line caught his attention,"…And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…" now that was something that he wouldn't forget. If one could have seen his face the horrible twisted smile there would have induced a good healthy dose of fear.

No one could see it though so it past unnoticed and all to soon they were filing out of the Church on the townspeople's heels as they exited as a group to a place outback. Harry continued to smile when he saw what was awaiting them there; it was a row of wooden pillars surrounded by a good pile of chopped logs. He could feel his elite tensing around him as they watched the townspeople gather around it and bring out a woman bound in rope. She wasn't the only one a man came out soon followed by another smaller man and finally a small girl. The woman was dressed all in black; she had multiple piercings, a pentacle necklace, dark purple lipstick and was obviously a 'Goth'.

The men were reasonably attractive, dressed very well and they were leaning into each other in such a way that suggested they were lovers. The girl was small, barely three years old, sandy blonde hair, with big brown eyes and was currently trying very hard to curl into herself. The woman was there because she was 'different' and they thought she was a 'witch' that much Harry had gathered. The men were gay lovers, something no reasonable good Christian could accept as to 'lay with another man' was to 'burn in the fires of hell'. Those three Harry could understand but he was having trouble figuring out what was 'wrong' with the little girl that made them want her dead? He understood when she started to cry for her 'daddy' and one of the gay men tried to go to her to be beat back.

She was 'contaminated' by being their daughter it seemed, truly muggles were a disgusting sort and he would never understand them. He killed people, yes, he even enjoyed doing it but he would never hurt a child that was one thing he would never do. He was watching them handle the little girl with unease…they were going to burn her and he was going to have to watch it. He would not forget this day and he would make damn sure that these muggles would not forget it either. They would die by his hand one day, but not today, no they would have to wait for now.

His elites weren't paying much attention to the girl though, their horrified eyes were on the stakes and they were to absorbed in their disgust to do more than watch as the townspeople began to tie each of them to a pillar. They needed to see that image, have it burned into their minds and they needed to understand fully how monstrous muggles could be. This would be a long day for him and it was going to just get longer.

The Pastor began another sermon, but it was more to read their victims a last rite before the townspeople could kill them. Another line suck out for Harry "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…" the irony was not lost on him, after all, weren't these people committing this act of 'evil'. Not that it mattered much because just as this last lines died down the townspeople gathered around the piles of wood like ants on a picnic.

Soon it was ablaze and the people trapped there were screaming something terrible while the townspeople danced and laughed. Even with the screams of the child they seemed to be unaffected…his elites on the other hand were not so and he could feel the final pieces falling into place. His followers had started out unsure on this journey, unsure if they could do what was needed to rid the world of an entire race but now…now they felt almost eager to begin the systematic annihilation. Really this couldn't have ended better if Harry had staged the entire thing and with the smell of burning flesh in the air the wizards/witches took a final portkey home.

--x--

Dumbledore sat in his office contemplating his next move, deciding where he should go from here and how that was going to affect the outcome of the play. It was a great burden, being the only one powerful enough, wise enough and strong enough to do that which was right over what was easy. He was sure he had hurt plenty of people on his journey to peace, and it was a terrible burden to think of it. However, as with every war there has to be sacrifices to win, some HAVE to die and a few HAVE to live.

He was the only one who could really take on that mantel and lead the light to victory in this war against the dark…the only one strong enough to know what sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the whole. Harry had been one such sacrifice, the boy would have grown to be powerful, was destined to be a savor and Dumbledore couldn't let that go to the child's head. So he had sent him to a safe house, the Dursleys, where he was sure to be put down, maybe even abused a bit and where (most importantly) he would learn what it was to be the little guy.

Dumbledore had been so sure that Harry wouldn't have understood the gravity of his burden had he not been faced with adversity from the start. Which is why he had set up so many tests, and roadblocks to condition him to be the Hero the world would need. It had all been so perfect, Dumbledore had had the plan all laid out so nicely and everything had been right on schedule. Harry was to go to the Dursleys, learn politeness from a firm hand, learn how to handle adversity, and then when he was eleven Dumbledore would 'save' him. Give him a family, give him a home, become his confidant, and then proceed to test him in this world.

He had the philosopher stone here for what would have been his first year, and Harry was SUPPOSED to be there to decipher all his carefully laid clues to stop the Voldemort possessed Quirrel. BUT NO, Harry had to ruin everything by disappearing leaving him to clean up the mess and contend with the boy's enraged family. It had been so hard to build back up the trust that the Potters had in him and it had taken extra effort to make sure there was no backlash from the press.

There was so much set back with Harry MIA and all his previously laid plans had to take the back burner while his most valuable pawn was lost. The tournament was a brilliant move on his part and would help the search immensely when the other schools arrived. Harry had said in his reply that he was at another school already, that school was most likely one of the ones that would be arriving in October and he could begin his search from there.

It should be simple to shift him out from the crowd, but he had to factor in disguises, glamours, hair dye and all sorts of other factors as well. Not to mention he also had to shift through all the boys' ages from fourteen to fifteen it was going to take quite a bit of time. That was if Harry was even attending one of the schools coming next year, if he wasn't at least he could rule those schools out…unless he decided not to come with them to the tournament. Maybe this wasn't going to be as simple as he had once thought. However, he was going to put his faith in Lily and James…surely they would know their own son? Right?

--x--

Voldemort looked at the letter in his hands and weighed the choices presented to him. On one hand he wanted to see Tristen again, and not to mention he needed those potions…on the other hand it could be a trap. Then again Tristen didn't seem to be the type to present such an obvious trap…no he was like himself laying his traps with subtlety. Now it was just the choice of weighing his want to see Tristen and his need to be the one in control of the situation this time. Really the boy was impressive the first time, taking control, setting the terms, and practically guiding the entire meeting between them.

However, as impressive as that was it was also annoying as all hell…that was his role and to have it stolen by a slip of a boy was infuriating. Still it provided endless amusement because he knew in the end he was the one who made the real decisions and who was really in control. With a smirk Voldemort decided to let the boy think he had control this time, **this time**, but next time it _would_ be his call.

It was with a satisfied smirk Voldemort activated the Portkey and was whisked away to destinations unknown. When he landed gracefully on his feet he noticed that he was in a well-lit forest, a muggle one, and Tristen was leaning on a tree not to far from him. There was silence for a moment, both sides studying the other looking for weaknesses and trying to see the best way to approach the other. Voldemort may have found himself unreasonably obsessed with the boy but that didn't mean he would let his errant emotions rule him. If this Tristen proved to be useless, or to foolhardy for him to properly use/control he would put his inclinations to the side and rid himself of the boy.

Tristen spoke first conceding in their silent staring contest, "I have finish those potions you wanted, and the quantities you expressed desire for have been achieved, everything is organized and within this box, simply state what you wish for over the lid and it will come to you." That said he handed Voldemort a small box that looked like a miniaturized chest the size of the palm of his hand. It was an impressive piece of spell work, he gave Tristen that much when he took the box from him, "Somehow I sincerely doubt this is what you wanted when you asked me here. A simple instruction note with an Owl would do just as well." His drawl was sarcastic and drawn out, much like how Harry had imagined Tom's voice to sound like some times during their long written discussions.

"In that you would be correct, I've invited you here to speak of an alliance between you and I." Voldemort raised an eyebrow slightly taken aback by the teen's boldness, "you wish to become a Death Eater?" "No, I'm talking about a true alliance. Of equal parties bringing something to the other to further both of their own goals?" Voldemort was more than a little amused, this Tristen, this BOY thought himself his equal? Surely he was jesting, as there was no way this _CHILD_ could hope to be on an equal footing with him.

Harry knew that look in Voldemort's eyes, he did not like it one bit and narrowed his own in response. "And what, prey tell, makes you think I'd enter an alliance with a BOY like you?" His tone was all mocking and filled with amusement, so much so that it got Harry's hackles rising. Without fully realizing they had begun to circle each other at some point, like two stalking predators fighting over the same kill. "You would do well not to judge a person by their appearance." Harry bit out more than a little frustrated with his attitude having gotten used to people bowing to his will, consciously or not.

"And you would do well not to overestimate yourself when facing a superior opponent," Voldemort sneered in reply. "It is not overestimating one's own skill but being confidant in one's own abilities and power. I AM powerful _**Lord**_ Voldemort you would do well to remember that!" Harry had long since abandoned any semblance of his serene mask in favor of giving into their heated banter (much like he did with Tom). "Oh, you have potential boy, I will give you that but you are no where near ready to be playing the game yet…no I fail to see what you could offer me in an alliance besides yourself and other petty untrained soldiers." Harry's hackles rose at that, if there was one thing he hated it was being looked down upon, that was one of the reasons he couldn't seem to keep a low profile at school.

He had plenty to offer someone, plenty and that Voldemort would degrade his carefully made alliances and political maneuverings with his followers was infuriating. "I would hold that tongue unless you plan to lose it! You do not want me for an enemy Voldemort and you are beginning to try my patience!" Voldemort gave a hissing dry chuckle, "Forgive me if I fail to be cowed by such a small boy, magical prowess aside, I very much doubt you could be much of a threat to me now."

"Well, you would be unpleasantly surprised to find my backing would easily make things very difficult for you Voldemort!" Harry began to calm himself by concentrating on why he was there in the first place, besides it was reasonable that one with Voldemort's stature would need convincing as he has already had a firm standing in this war. He was the one to start this struggle in the first place and the Light needed to be subdued if Harry ever hoped to wipe out the Muggles without a Magical opposition.

"Please, do enlighten me with these backings you seem so proud of…I shall see if they are worthy of contemplating an alliance of equals." His tone was light and very mocking as he sneered it out with hissing tones. Harry was more than happy to shut him up, as he was sure that when all his alliances he was putting onto the table were considered he'd have Voldemort's support as well. True, it would mean he would have to support the Dark Lord in return but that was a bridge he'd cross when he reached it. As Harry would never agree to slaughtering 'mudbloods' as that side was so prone to do and he would not allow it to continue either. Again, it was a bridge to be crossed when it became an issue but not before.

"I have the entire Pureblood Werewolf pack, a Vampire coven, a Master Vampire, a Fire Tribe, financial backing from the Water Tribe, a nest of Gargoyles, a Gorgon, and Various other groups that I am unwilling to reveal at this time." Most of what Harry was saying was not entirely true as his elites had yet to get confirmation that the leaders of said groups were willing to even speak with him. But he was positive that would change soon and it was only a matter of time before it came to pass, for the others it was a simple matter of alerting them.

To say Voldemort was floored was an understatement but he kept the shock from his face, as that would be detrimental to furthering negotiations in his favor. He would have to confirm that the boy was speaking the truth but if it were to be proven true the sheer possibilities were enough for him to put aside his pride for a moment. Sometimes to win one needed to know when to concede to needing help, the light outnumbered the dark it was that simple and the troops Tristen was offering would be invaluable. He narrowed his eyes though as he continued to circle the boy, this boy reminded him eerily of himself and with that backing he was definitely more of a threat than Voldemort had been willing to acknowledge.

"We'll have to discuss the conditions of this Alliance some other time, at the moment I have a meeting to get to, good day," Voldemort disappeared with a CRACK. The truth of course was that he didn't have a meeting but he needed to find out more information on this Tristen Winter. He wasn't one to come across an opponent unprepared and Tristen had just proven he bore watching…he did not like surprises like that. When he got to the manor Voldemort decided to call on Lucius and set him to the task of discover all there was to know about the boy. He would NOT be surprised like that again, there would be nothing he didn't know about this Tristen soon enough and when that was done he would call on the infuriating boy. When he had all the boy weaknesses laid out before him, when he had enough to control him, THEN he would strike. Voldemort wanted the teen to crawl to him on his knees, in more than one way and this meeting only added more fuel to his growing obsession with one Tristen Winter.

Harry for his part was more than a little angry about being brushed off so quickly, he had gotten too used to bending people to get his way it seemed. Voldemort might end up being more trouble than he was worth, and soon he would have to decide what to do with him. For one his adamant killing of MAGICAL people, muggle born or not, would not be tolerated by him should the Dark Lord begin to do so again. If it came down to it Harry would not hesitate to kill the infuriating bastard to preserve their lives, magical beings should be protected after all and it was the muggles that needed to die. That was all that mattered to Harry, killing the filthy things was a priority and almost took the highest place. Though killing his scum of parents was the most important thing to him, killing most of the muggle population took a close second and nothing would stand in his way.

Magic was the one thing in his life Harry held dear, which included protecting the people who could wield something so beautiful as magic. Magic needs to be protected, its wielders as a side effect need to be protected also and soon they would take their rightful place as the rulers of this world. They would heal the wounds the earth sustained from the ungrateful muggles and then bring Magic to the glory it once had before they had polluted it with their filth.

--x--

The next few weeks flew by with a flurry of activity, his elites worked hard arranging meetings between him and their respective clan leaders. Harry himself barely had a minute to relax, constant allegiance talks between the ones that mattered, his own research, keeping in contact with Voldemort, his animagious (?) training, talks with Tom, helping Madeline with various tasks, and preparing for the next year. Alucard had yet to make another appearance but he always showed up, so Harry wasn't all that worried about negotiating with him to much.

In all he made great progress with his own research, he managed to gain tentative alliances with all the leaders he had intended to and made some progress in his talks with Voldemort. All this was done by the end of summer but Harry knew that the coming year would be even more challenging as it went along he was anticipating it with glee. Harry knew though that despite everything it was going to take its toll on him, but he also knew that he had survived enough to be strong enough to handle it.

Madeline had to finish her project with the Guild before she could return to school so this year would be the first Harry would ride in the boat alone. Madeline didn't think she would make it in time to leave with them all to Hogwarts so she reassured him that she would meet them there. She did go the docks to see him off, even giving him a small kiss on his forehead and a tight hug before letting him leave.

They had grown closer over this summer and Harry was beginning to realize with some dread that Madeline had managed to find a place in his jaded heart. It was very disturbing to know, yet at the same time he liked caring for someone…even if it was just a little bit and being loved was nice. The first week at school was hectic; the headmistress was getting the chosen ready for their arrival at school. She had to make sure their entrance was grander than the other schools as it would work well for an intimidation factor. Also she had them practicing what they would do when they would be formally introduced as a school.

Harry wasn't sure how she had managed it but Seline had somehow managed to find out what the other schools were going to do in their performances so she wanted to blow them out of the water. It was a very intricate work so they had to practice where they would have been studying, however, Seline was sure this would be well worth the extra work. Harry suspected that she just wanted to show off them to Dumbledore because she made it no secret what she felt for the old man…i.e. she hated him.

Other than that Harry was also having a hard time organizing his marked so that they could continue their battle simulations while he was gone. In the end he assigned Sarah as his leader and decided to let her pick her generals from there so they could get used to them. It would be a great thing in case anyone ever died so that they would be used to getting orders from various people. Morgan wasn't taking it easy on him either; her teachings had gotten harder when she learned he would be gone by the end of the month this year. Grace, his snake, had taken to the forest of Avalon so he had left her on the island over the summer but she was insistent that she would accompany him to Hogwarts.

By the end of the week he was dead tired and couldn't wait to sleep a few extra hours on Sunday; however it was not to be. In the middle of the night Harry was awoken with a stinging, tingling feeling enveloping his entire body with his pelvis glowing a bright green. The pain came after that and what seemed like hours later he got his answer as to what the hell was going on, Tink had hatched from her cocoon inside of his core. She finally separated from his magical core in the early hours of the morning and by than Harry knew he would not be getting any more sleep.

Tink was changed, no longer childlike in appearance but a fully-grown adult Vixi about six inches tall; her hair was longer almost reaching her ankles and her wings were bigger. The wings were large, clear but had a kaleidoscope of clear shimmering colors that sparkled in the light. Harry had to make her another outfit but she filled it out better this time appearing much prettier than the Peter Pan Tinkerbell. He was pleased to have his small familiar back even though her return wasn't exactly pleasant. He wondered what changes he should expect from his body now that the Vixi was separated from him but he accepted he would discover it as he went along.

The last three weeks were better for him, the first thing he noticed different was that he required less sleep after what happened with Tink so it helped him tremendously. Madeline kept in contact through letters; she was on a dig in the Caribbean looking for something for her research but was happy to say she would be able to arrive at Hogwarts on time. Seline was making sure that each of them was prepared for everything before they would leave to make them more efficient. They were told they would be taking their core classes with the Hogwarts masses like the other three schools but the extra courses that Noctiluca offered would be taught by herself (as Hogwarts didn't offer those classes, ex: musical magic).

The last week was a nightmare for everyone: packing, preparing, gathering supplies, hard teachings, and all their extra curricular activities not withstanding. Harry probably had it as bad as Seline with Morgan on his back, as well as arranging everything he would need to for the coming year and tying up loose ends. The day before departure Morgan gave him an ancient almanac that would serve as a translator but with nothing to translate. She was very evasive about the entire thing refusing to answer his questions and only saying he would need it the coming year.

The day of the departure Seline gathered everyone, making sure their uniforms were impeccable before leading them out to the clearing just inside the forests. There she had set up what would take them to Hogwarts, the thing was a Masterpiece, intricate long-forgotten runes/texts encircled the ground and at its center an archway. It looked like a very impressive doorway without the door, fantastical designs ran up and down it giving it a very grand appearance. Seline lined them up and began the ritual in an old almost extinct language that they all had trouble following. At the end of an hour, the entire thing was lit up brighter than a Christmas tree from all the power she had poured into it and with one last lyrical note the archway flashed. There way was open and confidently Seline strove forward leading them to another school, which might as well have been another world.

Before the warmth from the magic washed over them Harry vaguely wondered how this year would turn out and if Madeline had managed to get there on time. He almost smiled when he thought about her arriving late, disheveled and panting with Seline waiting there ready to pounce on his unsuspecting mother. It was a comical thought but one he hoped wouldn't actually occur because he would then have to defend her from one irate Headmistress. He pushed the thought out of his mind and let the feel of the magic wash over him, helping to put him at ease for what was sure to be a complicated school year.

**A.N. So I know this isn't my best one yet but I'll be better next time lol, the next chapter should be up by October 1! Yeah I know slow update but if you guys want these long chapters I need some time! Lol Plus it takes me a while to read through everything and try to catch my mistakes! ; I know I'm horrible! Please R&R it'll motivate me to go faster! Lol Until next time my beautiful, adorable, FORGIVING, readers! Ja Ne **

**P.S. look up Vanessa Mae's Storm if you wnt a idea of the song Harry played.**


	12. Courting Disaster

**A.N. Lol here it is as promised! So heres where I say to be kind to the girl with no Beta and forgive those grammar/spelling errors! ; heh heh I'm not to great at checking my own work and I'll be the first to admit that, lol Hope you guys like this newest installment. I'm not entirely sure what happened here, I was going to do one thing but my hands took over after I had all that sugar…opps…hope its not to bad! Lol READ & REVIEW please! Lol Oh, and I OWN nothing! **

**Chapter 12: Courting Disaster **

Madeline gazed out at the rolling hills, then back at the train tracks, then back to the hills vaguely tempted to try to make it to Noctiluca instead of going straight to Hogwarts. She had the feeling that Harry wanted her there on time so Madeline knew she couldn't turn back now otherwise she would be late. Turning back to the train tracks she revved the motor on her bike and within two seconds she was in the air again speeding down the path that would lead her to her destination.

These past two months had been insane, it was her last year so the workload was lighter in school only to be heavier with her duties for the guild. She was a silver level Master and because of that she had to put in more work than the lower level master had to…it did have benefits though. Because she was so high up, only one below the highest, she had access to the guild's extensive Library and allowed on closed digs.

The digs were really worth it in her opinion; she often discovered materials/text to help her with her research and really opened some doors she would otherwise find closed. However, she understood Harry's willingness to stay at 'the bottom of the barrel' he didn't have to offer up any research, didn't have them publish anything on the newsletter, and pretty much he stayed anonymous no matter how extraordinary his masterpiece had been. The bike roared as she sped faster having finally seen the end of the tracks and the forest ahead. Hogwarts would be just around the bin and she would need to be on the ground if she didn't want to crash and die an unseemly death when she crossed the wards.

Weaving through the forest floor was easier than she had thought it'd be but it was still damn hard avoiding roots that would stick up every so often to trip her. She was at the edge of the woods and arrived just in time to see the two other schools arrive. Her own school had as of yet to arrive so she just barreled out of the trees and swerved impressively to the side while coming to a stop.

--x--

Sirius didn't see what the big deal was, why did ALL the 'teachers' have to be here to greet some foreign mediocre schools anyway? It wasn't like they needed to be there in case of an attack, Dumbledore had said that if Voldemort was back he was staying quiet it wasn't like he would blow it by attacking NOW. Still it was somewhat worth it seeing the scowl on Snivellous' face and he elbowed James beside him so they could discuss a prank they had for him in the making.

James smirked at him in return and nodded ever so slightly while keeping an eye out for Mcgonagall, really it was just like being back in school. Sirius felt that warmth in him grow as he thought of it, school had been the best; it was before his life had been tainted by everything and would forever be fondly remembered. Getting even a piece of that back now was well worth any headaches gotten from the lectures they would and have been forced to endure by their Head of House.

There was a noise that drew his attention back to the arriving schools, a very familiar, very much loved sound and when he saw it he couldn't believe his eyes. There barreling out of the forbidden forest was the most beautiful bike he had seen, being ridden by someone obviously very experienced with it. He started to slink a little closer for a better look, James right behind him, when the rider swerved impressively to the side to come to a showy stop. Really whoever this person was, they were taking after his own heart and he very much wanted to meet them…if they pranked Sirius was sure they would get that fourth that had been missing since Peter.

However when he broke away from the crowd just in time to get a good look at the rider as the helmet came off he felt his mouth drop. There sitting casually on the bike was the SEXIEST woman he had ever seen, she had a messy braid, a very pretty face, and her curves…well he started to feel drool before he snapped out of it. She turned and he got a better look at her face, those pouty lips were just begging to be kissed, seriously! She had a spark of mischief in those stormy eyes; something he very much liked and when she finally spoke Sirius knew he had been undone.

"Am I late?" She didn't wait for anyone to answer, "Ah good no one important has arrived yet…" her voice was low and sultry so it took a moment to realize the insult. When he did Sirius turned to the equally gapping James beside him and said with all seriousness, "I think I'm in love…". James just nodded dumbly and went back to staring, Sirius decided it would be prudent to do so also.

He turned just in time to see Dumbledore approach the goddess on the bike with the other two in tow, though the Headmistress of Beauxbatons didn't looked pleased at all. Dumbledore had his patent grandfatherly smile and his famous twinkle was shining very brightly in his eye. "Hello my dear! Are you sure you've come to the right place? Forgive me but you look a bit to old to still be attending school?" The woman looked like she had stepped on something unpleasant when she answered him, "You would be right of course," she sneered at the gathered Headmasters, "if I attended a school as low grade as any of yours."

She turned her back on them then, suddenly concentrating on the clear field just beside the Beauxbatons carriage and smirked triumphantly. Then she got off the bike quite casually, shrunk it and the helmet to place in her pocket all the while never really taking her eyes off that empty space. Curious, others began to gaze in that direction also, and then a loud thundering CLAP got the rest attention as the field began to fill with a bright white mist.

It was eerie, the mist flooded out of nowhere to curl around their ankles snaking cold up their legs and a haunted chanting voice echoed around them. Seemingly it came from everywhere and nowhere and the place the mist originated from filled with a light so bright many had to shield their eyes from it. Then the chanting faded away, leaving only the bright light and a heavy taste of powerful magic to fill the air.

It was an awe-inspiring sight; the light grew brighter and began to form a door, a large door, bigger even than the one that graced the entrance hall. The tension grew thick, palpable as everyone waited for what they all knew was coming, and a collective withdrawing of breathe went through the crowd when the first dark figure began to emerge from the brightness. Soon it was followed by more dark figures with the first leading at the head and after a few moments the light began to fade.

The first figure was one of the first to come into clear view; it was a regal looking older woman, who walked with an upper crust grace often common among the pureblood elite. Sirius instantly disliked her because of that and resolved to plan some pranks with James later. Next, the other figures came into focus and they could see it was a number of students all wearing uniforms identical to the one the biker girl was sporting.

Said girl rushed right up the obvious leader of this little band of people, bowed and took her place among the approaching student body. Sirius nodded to James and they joined the other teachers in standing behind Dumbledore who stood very rigid, twinkle oddly absent from his eye. The Marauders couldn't wait to see the confrontation between these two obvious titans of magic, and they were almost giddy in anticipation for the verbal battle they could sense coming.

Her hair was pulled into a tight complicated updo and her outfit was much like the others except hers had a long flowing skirt instead of pants. The colors were very flattering and accented her dark eyes that stood out even if their color was quite common. Her lips were thin, her nose was straight and dainty on her face, in all she looked the picture of pureblood collectiveness. Her face was somewhat pinched when she finally made it to where Albus was standing with most of his teachers behind him.

"Albus, how _have_ you been?" She asked in a somewhat snide tone, like she wanted nothing more than to see something unpleasant happen to him. "Seline, my dear, I've been quite well. It would seem the Minister failed to mention your school would be attending this tournament." "Really, well isn't that funny." She had a small victorious smirk on her face like she knew something he didn't, and Sirius could tell it was getting under Dumbledore's skin.

"Isn't it? So it would seem you've finally decided to step out of the shadows?" Albus said with a carefully concealed superior edge that only Seline caught. She bristled, "Yes, a pity your students don't stand a chance now that we've come foreword to compete." The three other Headmasters became rigid at that, dread started to creep up in their stomachs because they all knew what terrible power dwelled in that school.

Noctiluca was something of a feared entity to them, the power that one needed alone to attend was staggering and everything about it was shrouded in mystery. No one could find where the school was located; it was on an island that couldn't be found except by those who knew where it was and for all they knew the island could be on the other side of the world. Just the fact that no one could find them should they ever decide to disappear was scary, and added to the mystery that surrounded what was actually taught, Noctiluca was an academy that many feared to cross.

The only redeeming thing was that the freakishly powerful group stayed to the shadows and left the world relatively alone. That they had decided to come foreword in such a public way, in a magical competition no less was frightening and spoke of how the tides were changing. Something big was stirring in the world, whether it was Voldemort or something else entirely was a question that needed to be answered (at least where Dumbledore was concerned).

"Well, shall we greet you in the entrance hall. Minerva will escort you there and than we'll have a feast to welcome you to our school!" Dumbledore got louder at the end and raised his hands to his cheering students while the foreign dignitaries looked on in a mix of distaste and good humor. The ones familiar with the school made it through the winding halls easily while the ones unused to the castle lagged behind. Sirius had some mixed feelings on the whole encounter, on one hand he didn't very much like the other schools on principle but on the other the beautiful girl came with one of those schools.

She was a fiery one, he could tell, beautiful, curvy, daring, and she rode a motorcycle. If that wasn't the perfect wife in the making he didn't know what was and Sirius was determined to have her for himself. After all he had decided a while ago that it was time to settle down, start a family and begin his own life. He wanted what James had with Lily, love, family, contentment and waking up knowing he was not alone. That was definitely something he wanted and he was bound and determined to see it happen with HER.

--x--

Suzie sat down quickly, a little disappointed she had missed the arrival of the foreign schools but she was glad she had made it in to see the schools enter the Hall. A part of her was hoping that her big brother would be among them but another part knew it was foolish to think he would be there. Still she was very enthused to have the tournament going on at Hogwarts, where she had the most pull and could gain allies more easily for Harry.

She was determined that the next time she saw her brother that he would be proud and she would NOT see him empty handed. Already she had made friends with some very powerful families, Suzan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, and many more. Not to mention the up and coming people like Hermoine, the Weasley twins and Luna. It would be a happy day when she could turn to her brother with the people she had gathered behind her and say this is what she had done while they had been apart. That she could show how much she had devoted herself to him, show how loyal she was and hopefully he would be proud of her.

The doors opened and the Beauxbatons girls breezed into the hall looking very pretty in their little blue robes. They came foreword and just about halfway in they stopped to sigh, releasing a flock of blue butterflies that fluttered around. Suzie could practically see the drool sliding down every boys' mouth at the sight of them and was somewhat appeased when she saw Draco wasn't giving them any mind at all. He was paying more attention to the Headmaster and the new teachers he had employed, a wary look on his face.

The girls curtsied to the Headmaster and took a seat with them at the Ravenclaw table. There was a pounding at the open doors that turned their attention to the arriving boys from Durmstrang, red sparks came from their wooden staffs and then Victor Krum came foreword with another boy. They went through a sequence of stomping jumps and turns, ending with a large red sparkling dragon. The crowd was awed and the applause filled the hall, Suzie thought that was an act that would be tough to follow.

She watched them stomp over to the Slytherin table with some amusement, they obviously were going for intimidation but Suzie was not impressed. She had long ago made friends with plenty of Slytherin students and knew the main thing you needed to when dealing with them, 'power was everything'. To them it was all about the status quo, whoever had the most influence/power, was the one they followed because they wanted to be the one that everyone followed.

A hush fell over the hall and Suzie was very curious as to why, she hadn't been there so she had no way of knowing why this last school was different. Everyone's attention was focused on the door, so Suzie turned her eye there also and waited for whatever it was that they were waiting for. Quite comically the next thing to come through the doorway wasn't a human at all but a six-inch Fairy-like creature that glowed a blue-green light.

She was a beautiful little thing, hovering in the middle of the pathway for perhaps a second before she started to twirl around and as she spun a cold wind swept the dining hall. It blew out the floating candles very easily and soon the only light in the room was the glowing fairy-thing. However, before any of the professors could relight them an eerie soft feminine voice came from the entryway along with a faint music that strangely reminded Suzie of a Circus melody.

As she spoke small multi-colored lights sparkled down from the ceiling to splash along the ground in a breathtaking array of colors and magic.

**Got a secret. **

**Can you keep it?**

**Swear this one you'll save. **

**Better lock it in your pocket. **

**Taking this one to the Grave. **

Just as she finished saying grave the lights went on suddenly, but the flames were changed. They sparkled the different lights and every so often the colors would flare and spill onto the ground. The woman who was singing turned out to be the Headmistress of the school she was standing very regally at the doorway.

**If I show you,**

**Then I know you wont tell what I said.**

**Because two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead. **

Then quite suddenly her students came out of nowhere dancing into the room, very well, while she calmly walked straight into the room. It was amazing to watch, each one would twirl while throwing out sparkling light in many different forms, some even flipped over the headmistress. All this and she never stopped moving into the room, completely trusting that they would not impede her in any way.

She looked right at Dumbledore then, and gave a frightening little smirk, continuing her song in the same soft, eerie tones while the music played.

**Why do you smile like you've been told a secret?**

**Now your telling lies, **

**Because you just want to keep it. **

**But no one keeps a secret,**

**No one keeps a secret. **

Suzie caught on right away that this display of art, magic and control wasn't just about showing off to the other potential competitors. No, this had something deeper in it; the song said that much to her and whatever it was it was a message to the Headmaster. This was bother, very disturbing and a little exhilarating, as it spoke of a mystery Suzie was very eager to solve.

The Headmistress turned then and started to eye the rest of the members of staff already seated, including the other Headmasters.

**Why when we do our darkest deed do we tell?**

**They burn into our brains, **

**Become a living Hell, **

**Because everybody tells, **

**Everybody Tells.**

Whatever it was she was saying to them in this encoded message, they understood and so did Suzie to an extent. This woman, this Headmistress to a school no one has ever heard of knew something about those people up there. Something they didn't want everyone to know, at least that's what Suzie thought and by the very uncomfortable looks they were displaying she guessed she was right.

**Got a secret.**

**Can you keep it?**

**Swear this one you'll save.**

**Better lock it in your pocket.**

**Taking this one to the grave.**

**If I show you,**

**Then I know you wont tell what I said.**

**Because two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. **

The students were amazing, the way they flipped, twirled, danced around her was breathtaking and all the while they were shooting out sparks of things. Some had ribbons of light that dangled from their ankles and moved beautifully while they spun around. They paired up sometimes and the boys would lift the girls like ballet dancers, it was amazing there was no other word for it.

**Yes, Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.**

The boys raised the girls up by their waists and the girls fell back as if their body had suddenly become limp.

**Yes, Two can keep a secret…if one of them is dead. **

It ended with the girls flipping over the boys in an awe inspiring array of colors that combined to form a beautiful crescent moon with roses curled around it. The headmistress was smirking at the head table and most of the people up there had the color completely drained from their faces. Even Dumbledore looked a little shaken up, and it made Suzie think of the woman's last line, 'two can keep a secret if one of them is dead'. Yes, she was sure now that this woman knew entirely too much about whatever horrible things those people had done and she smiled brightly at the thought. This was going to be an interesting year indeed.

--x--

Harry kept his serene mask in place but inside he was smirking right along with the Headmistress. If one knew the saying 'Know thy enemy' than one would also know it was a very true wisdom. Headmistress took that saying to a whole other level, this song was more than just for intimidation it was a message to all of them sitting up there. It was a basic, 'don't fuck with me or else', Headmistress could basically ruin the lives of everyone who got on her bad side if she wanted to. Harry thought this little display was mostly to keep the Headmaster Dumbledore from getting in her way.

After all who knows what she knew, what she had discovered and it would seem the Headmistress wanted them to concentrate on that and not what they were doing during their stay here. It was a clever tactic, if it worked, but it did make things more interesting by the minute. He spared a glance at his so called 'family' that was sitting by the Headmaster, they disgusted him and he had to look away before he lost his hold on himself.

However, as he moved the very special earring on his left ear caught the light, and shone in such a way that it immediately caught the attention of a girl who had been scanning the new crowd. The girl tensed for just a moment before immediately springing into action flying from her seat; smile a mile wide and squealing 'Big Brother' along the way. Harry moved quickly as she flung herself at him and with practiced ease he caught her by the waist while grabbing her hand to twirl her around. The whole thing looked as if he had been expecting it and showed off his obvious ballroom dancing experience.

His elites were all very tense by his sides, scowling at her and looked ready to pounce at a moment's notice. They had also managed to grab the attention of the entire hall, internally he sighed; Suzie was not one for discretion much and was to innocent to know its benefits. She most likely wanted everyone to know that he was her big brother, and that she was very proud of that fact. Really he couldn't expect more from her; still he couldn't keep the small unnoticeable smile off his face or the warm feeling that spread upon seeing her.

God, he had missed her. How she had managed to find her way into his jaded heart was a mystery he was unlikely to ever solve but still he was grateful for it any way. Gently he cupped her face, "Suzie, didn't I promise?" She had big, fat tears running down her face, as she nodded vigorously, "I never doubt you! Not once!" Harry believed her and slowly, as if he couldn't quite believe he was doing so he drew her into an embrace. He managed to suppress his shudder at touching someone knowing that she needed this, and he was somewhat amused to see the jealous looks on his elites faces.

Suzie pulled back quickly; knowing he didn't like touching and immediately grabbed his hand waiting for him to lead her once again. He would have smirked then but he held his serene façade in front of so many people's scrutinizing gazes. He noticed that all the students were waiting for him to choose also, so they could follow him to their seats and the Headmistress was already at the head table. Looking around he briefly remembered what each house was famous for, and decided.

It was equally amusing to see the stunned reactions when he made his way to sit with the Hufflepuff house and not the more famous Gryffindor. But really, Harry valued loyalty above all else, foolish bravery got you killed while loyalty might very well save you. Besides he could see his wayward brother among those wearing the red and gold, as such he had no desire whatsoever to be anywhere near that table.

After they sat the hall began to buzz with the many voices, all-clamoring to talk about this latest dish of gossip. After all, at some point or another most of them had heard something about Suzie's infamous older brother, with how much she talked of him how could they not?

--x--

Dumbledore was very disturbed, Seline's Noctiluca would attend the tournament and Fudge hadn't felt the need to inform him of it. That did not bode well for his control over the Minister, Fudge needed to be controlled, really it wasn't his fault but the man was just to naïve for his own good. Seline knew something that much was clear in her song, whether it was something she knew about him or something she knew that he needed to know. She knew something.

Turning his attention away from her for a moment he went back to studying Suzie Forester's 'big brother' as he stood there in his reunion with her. Truly he was curious as to what table he would take as it hadn't went past his attention that none of the other students had taken a seat yet. They were obviously waiting for their leader to choose so that they may follow; really it was as enlightening as it was disturbing.

Power, especially over someone else wasn't good for a young mind as it was all too easy to wander down the darker path when someone was willing to journey with you. He wondered if this young man would fall to the temptations or rise above it to join with the light. In either case he boded watching, not only because he was Suzie's infamous brother but also for the following he had already amassed at such a young age.

Dumbledore could remember another boy that was just as charismatic and talented as this one was said to be, a boy he had failed to save. Saddened he hid it well before he rose to give his welcoming speech, introducing the schools, their Heads and announcing the feast. He sat back down to eat and observe the dealings surrounding Suzie's brother, after all observing the eating etiquette told more about the social ranking than one might suppose.

The Noctiluca student, although sitting with the other Hufflepuff students remained separate from them at the end of the table with a few exceptions. Suzie was within the group, along with Suzan Bones and Hannah Abbot, not an uncommon sight, as Suzie was known for breaking barriers. Albus also noticed that some of the Noctiluca students did nothing more than pick at their plates not really eating anything.

The youngest looked upset, she was perhaps ten or eleven; in fact she looked downright miserable. He watched with interest as she got up and approached Suzie's brother somewhat hesitantly. Discretely Albus put an obscure small listening charm on his ear so that he could hear the coming conversation.

"My Prince?" Albus raised his eyebrow at the title, wondering if it was a self-imposed one like a certain 'Lord's'.

"Yes Heather?" The boy's tone was calm, even and his face utterly serene, really he looked very angelic to anyone observing as Albus was.

"I…I can't _eat_ this!" Dumbledore was somewhat surprised, while not exactly a well-known fact Hogwarts was often praised for her bountiful meals. He paid closer attention to the girl in search of an answer and found one not to son after, she was wearing a glamour on her head. In fact as he paid closer attention to the other students he noticed quite a few who had one glamour or another on their bodies.

While very well done the glamours weren't strong enough that his glasses couldn't see that they were there but he still couldn't see through them. They were very well done; obviously Seline's work and if he knew anything some of these students weren't entirely human…if at all. Just then his mind spun back to a line of her little song, 'if I show you then I know you wont tell…', she had something, something so big that he would have to keep his mouth shut on this if he ever wanted to know.

He turned his attention back to the boy, the 'Prince' and the girl. "Do not be disturbed, I will provide adequate substances for us when we retire from here. For now play nice." The girl, Heather, smiled and skipped back to her seat to continue play eating. She wasn't the only one relieved, many of the others looked reassured and began to liven up after that. Evidently he was not the only one listening in on that conversation.

The rest of the night wasn't all that interesting, and so he spent most of his time observing the new crowds searching for one that COULD be Harry. There were some possible candidates already and he wasn't the only one searching, James, Lily, Sirius and Remus were all looking for him also. It was a slim chance they'd find him here but it was worth a shot. All to soon it was time to rest for the night and Dumbledore had different teachers lead the groups to where the extra students would be staying. Really it had been some year since Hogwarts had housed so many students, it made him both happy and sad to think about it.

--x--

As the sun was rising the next morning the Noctiluca students couldn't really believe that they had been allowed to sleep in like this, as most were up well before the sun rose. Madeline thought it was funny, they're bewildered looks and curious caution was very amusing to watch. She herself had been up just a bit before they had risen and was already ready for the day while most were still getting dressed.

Everyone's breakfast was ready for them in the dorm, mostly for their special diets, though it was also set up because most of Hogwarts was still asleep (Even the house elves). Madeline just grabbed a few bites before dashing off having awoken early so she would have time to try to find the potions lab. Her own lab wasn't quite as good as she had wanted it back at Noctiluca because it had been built before they had discovered that dark closed areas helped in brewing. She was hoping that Hogwarts, since it WAS younger, would have its lab somewhere ideal and was giddy just thinking about it.

Finding her way around was surprisingly easy; Noctiluca had many more twists, turns, hidden passages, and the like, more so than Hogwarts. Though she supposed Hogwarts was mostly just a simplified version of Noctiluca, in more ways than one, and so it was reasonable that finding her way was easier than expected. Maddy very nearly squealed in delight when she found potions lab, it was better than she had ever imagined and she was star eyed looking at it.

She managed to shake herself out of her stupor eventually and began to inspect the equipment looking for any imperfections before she got started. Maddy had brought her own, which was on her at the moment, but she partly wanted to save time by using what was there instead of setting up her own. However, much to her disappointment the cauldrons just weren't up to her standards and the scales weren't PERFECTLY aligned. She heaved a great sigh before clearing some room for about only three of her cauldrons thinking that she would leave some courtesy room for the native master.

Madeline had thirty-three cauldrons with her, about ten shrunk and on her, all top of the line quality having been personally inspected by her while beginning made…or in some cases MADE by her. She decided to pull out her three prized ones for today, as she felt the need to impress on foreign ground. They were somewhat extravagant, one made of pure carved Diamond (made by her), one pure gold, and one was the shell of a fire Crab (also made by her).

She worked quickly and methodically, each move flowed together gracefully and she was just getting started setting up. Next she pulled out her scales, cutting devices, other utensils, and her specialty case that was full of her painfully gathered potion ingredients. So intent on getting everything perfect she barely noticed when another person entered the room with the same intent of using his lab before having to deal with the hoodlums of the day.

Imagine Severus' surprise seeing a woman setting up in his personal lab, one he thought he had strongly warded, and off the beaten path. She didn't even acknowledge him, busy putting her hair in a messy bun, setting out everything and taking out her notes on whatever she was doing. He was some rightly impressed when he saw what she was working with, her cauldrons alone any self-respecting potion Master would kill for and it seemed she was quite skilled at the art herself. The way she moved was just like any experienced Master at works, every move essential and not wasted in any way.

Impressed in despite of himself Severus decided to observe her for now before stepping in, after all she had no right barging into his personal lab like she owned it. He waited until she had all her ingredients organized before clearing his throat very loudly in an effort to gain her attention. "Yes, what is it?" she asked in a distracted voice as she pulled more notes out of her bag not even bothering to turn around.

"Excuse me but what exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked in his deep, silky tones that often terrified his pupils. "What does it look like Dunderhead? I'm prepping my station for an epic Potion making session." Her tone was very much like she expected him to be one of his own clueless students, and it aggravated him as much as it enthused him. "I was unawares that your school was in practice of pirating another's potion labs for their own gain without asking permission first. Though what can one expect from a school of shady ingrates."

Now that got her attention, she whirled around so fast he thought for a moment she had apparated, and Severus got to see her face for the first time during this whole interaction. He was somewhat stunned to see that it was the biker woman from yesterday that had been verbally sparing with him as he had thought she was an idiot like Black. After all they had similar personalities, at least from his first impression of her now he saw he would need to reevaluate that opinion.

She had the decency to blush, it only lasted a moment though, "Well if you don't want people to use your Lab you should put up wards!" Her eyebrow rose to challenge him and her tone was scathing, he hid his reactions well though thanks to his Occlumency. "I was aware, there _were_ wards up for such a purpose but it would seem you've taken them down." The woman looked confused for a moment before he saw the enlightenment dawn on her, "**Those** were _wards_?" She laughed, a twinkling bell sound he immediately had to tell himself he hated when in reality he thought it was nice. "I thought those were alarm systems!" she chuckled some more, "A second year could take those down no problem! If you really wanted someone out you should use more powerful wards!"

Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her, "I beg to differ Madam, those wards would have kept out most skilled seventh years and most know better than to try to break into here." She just gave him a smile, "Well, maybe YOUR second years wouldn't be able to but OUR second years would bat this away like they would a fly!" She was laughing again, like this was all very amusing to her but he couldn't find it in him to be upset by it. Which was surprising usually he would have thrown her out by now, but he blamed it all on his curiosity, it was not that he was attracted to her in any way…no certainly not.

"We have seemed to have gotten side tracked, I ask again why did you feel the need to acquisition my labs?" he drawled in a bored tone belying his real interest. "Oh, I wanted to see if your labs were more modern than mine…sadly it was so and I couldn't help myself once I saw them!" She was smiling dreamily around the room with stars in her eyes and Severus couldn't help but be flattered by it. He could see she wasn't lying, her emotions seemed to be written all over her face and she was the type of person that wore their hearts on their sleeves. No, he didn't think she could lie to anyone convincingly.

"Well, I suppose I can allow you your time for this morning, however in the future ask before taking over my labs I sometimes have potions brewing in her overnight that are very delicate and I don't want them ruined." He drawled out like it didn't really matter to him one way or the other if she stayed. She smiled warmly at him and nodded her head in accent. "Where are my manners? I'm Madeline, Madeline Winter by the way!" He turned sharply to look at her from the station he had been heading to and headed towards her at that.

"Any relation to Potion Master Winter?" He was half expecting her to say that was her father, or maybe her brother, what he was not expecting was her reply. "Well, yes, very closely as I AM Potions Master Winter," she laughed that twinkling bell laugh again while pulling a chain out from under her clothes, that a silver potions medallion hung from proving her words. He was so well and truly shocked his mouth was gapping, giving him an impressive imitation of a fish.

Then a gleam got into his eyes, and Madeline found herself hounded by questions not to soon after. They soon got caught up in discussions about potions, techniques, ingredients and the like. He got out his notes at some point, she got out hers, and they began to discuss their various projects (of course none of the very important ones as those weren't shared so easily). All the while Madeline couldn't keep a smile from her face, and she stood in wonder, as she never would have thought she would have found a friend HERE of all places. "I'm Severus, Severus Snape." He said with a smirk, that she privately thought was a little sexy, not that she'd _ever_ admit that to anyone.

--x--

Harry woke up disgruntled, it was a bit before sunrise and he felt as if he had slept in too long it made his movements slow and sluggish. He still got ready in any case, deciding he would braid his hair to get it out of the way much to Tink's displeasure as she couldn't hide on his nape then. Still she snuggled in on top of his head like an ordinate hairpiece draping across the braid like she was placed there. After a quick breakfast he went about placing his needed items for the day in his bag, along with equipping himself with all his hidden weapons, potions and supplies.

In the end he looked something like a rebel with his high combat boots, earrings, rings and added to his hidden scars he did look the part. He met up with everyone at the dorm common room, where Seline was waiting for them with a smirk on her face and a cold glint in her eyes. It was then he noticed that Madeline wasn't with them and was somewhat disappointed…he had missed her, not that he'd ever admit that much.

They started the day with elemental magic training outside, a review for the upper years and new material for the lower ones. That lasted for about two hours, surprisingly, and was very informative as Seline was a Master in elemental magics it was her specialty. Just after they finished that lesson the rest of the school started to rise, finally, and Seline decided it was best to postpone any major classes until she found a secure location. However that did not dismiss them from the other minor classes and so they started on fencing class, pairing up to duel.

Fencing didn't get very far along though as around an hour in the Mcgonagall woman approached them again and their presence was requested in the entrance Hall. Harry was more annoyed than anything as his schooling was already suffering just being in Hogwarts and he did not like it all. He wasn't easily angered but when it affected his life like this Harry was quick to anger. Added to that he hadn't seen Madeline yet, his real 'parents' were here and he had to keep his identity as quiet as possible the year wasn't starting out that well.

When they got to the Hall Dumbledore greeted them that damnable twinkle in his eye, that Suzie had complained so much about last night, was on full blast. Harry was beginning to see why she hated it so much, it was just plain annoying as no one could possibly be that happy or good natured all the time. It turned out that they were trying to figure out the schedules for the foreign students because of the exchange programs. Suzie was busy talking to her circle of friends so Harry spent his time trying to see if Madeline was in the hall also.

The Elite were just as disgruntled as him and Logan was growling softly beside him, the foolishness of the entire situation putting him on edge. Most of the Noctiluca students couldn't figure out why they just didn't use their own curriculum but instead they had to be subjected to Hogwarts mediocre schooling. When Logan's growling got a touch louder Harry began to pet his marked neck in order to calm him down. They did not need the added stress of having all these outsiders discover that most of Noctiluca students were creatures.

Dumbledore introduced the 'Goblet of Fire' before returning to the argument over classes. Everyone was fascinated by it but Harry didn't really pay to much attention to it, it was just a magic cup. However, there was some grumbling when Dumbledore told everyone about the age limit, including that Noctiluca student's exemption to the rule. The Hogwarts students were the worst to react to that news, especially the Gryffindors, but really it was for their benefit. If the upper years competed it just wouldn't be fair to them as they were much superior to their foreign counterparts, Fudge knew this that's why he allowed the lower years in Noctiluca to compete. If a fourth or fifth year from their school got picked the others stood some chance after all, SOME chance but it was unlikely that they'd win either way.

He was terribly bored, they all had breakfast already so they couldn't busy themselves with that and they were used to being constantly in motion. It was aggravating just sitting there, awaiting the adults, while valuable time was wasted on frivolities and Harry could see from Seline's expression she agreed. Still, with nothing better to do Harry decided to list the other creatures accompanying them besides his own elite. Everyone here was marked, no doubt about that, but they still didn't have as much exposure to him.

He started with the youngest, Heather, she was part Satyr and had horns on the sides of her head. She was a Ram Satyr so her horns were the common twisted thick ones and she also had a tail, which was actually very amusing to see. Her hair was a green and she had brown eyes, characteristic of her wood nymph mother. Jack Dune, the third year, was a Sparti, as such had the teeth and tongue of a dragon. He couldn't speak parseltongue much to Harry's surprise but he had no match here in a hand-to-hand fight.

His hair was a dark shade of purple, his eyes were had slit pupils and were a lovely shade of silver. Marilyn Chase, fourth year, was a Succubus though thankfully she was not matured. She was pretty in a sense, more exotic looking with long light pink hair and big teal eyes. June Dawnalin, also a fourth year, was a Azeman, not to be confused with a Vampire because though she did drink blood she had to be in her Bat form to do so. She had shiny gray hair and vivid sky blue eyes; currently she was obsessed with counting the candles that were floating above them.

Edgard De L'Arbre, the last fourth year, was a Wood elf and was a very curious one at that. He had chestnut colored hair and hazel eyes, every so often on his skin one could see a shiny spot that resembled a leaf though with the glamour on one could not. John Macmillan, fifth year, was a Cernunnos and had one horn in the middle of his forehead that resembled one from a unicorn. His hair was a short cropped golden color and his eyes were a swirling opal, in all he was perhaps the strangest looking to Harry. However, Macmillan was more beautiful than handsome and had a very welcoming aura about him that could be dangerous as Cernunnos were notoriously fertile, able to get just about anything pregnant.

Steven Bines, seventh year, was a Drow and did not get along well with Simon as a result. Harry didn't blame him though because after being raised the way he had been it would be difficult to do otherwise. He did try to keep the peace with Simon but most of the time he just ignored everyone (excluding Harry of course). His hair was a dark brown color that went well with his chocolate toned skin and ebony eyes.

Mary Strijder, eight year, was part deamoness (about 10) but she had enough in her bloodline to have telling features like a pair of small horns hidden in her hair. Also sharp teeth, claws, and glowing yellow eyes all hidden beneath glamours at the moment. Lastly Amara Biopelo, ninth year, was a lamia with long emerald colored hair and bright blue eyes. Her cinnamon color skin hid her scales well enough that she only had a few weak glamours to deal with during there stay here.

By the time Harry was done listing all this in his head the teachers finally decided on a schedule and were beginning to hand out the multiple sheets of paper to the foreign students. It turned out classes didn't start for them until ten, with the rest of Hogwarts, and they had an HOUR of free time before then. What were they supposed to do for an hour? Sighing in submission Harry looked towards Seline to find she had stormed out a while ago.

With nothing else to do he caught the eye of his elite and motioned with his head that he wished to leave the stuffy, crowded hall. They all followed him out; still, it seemed his peace was not to be found this day as many of the bolder students attending Hogwarts tried to gain his attention. His elite kept them at bay and only allowed Suzie close when she came running up to him. She was smiling as wide and as brightly as when she had been small, though she had a great deal more teeth.

Suzie hadn't changed much and yet she had grown a great deal, still she had the same admiration in her eyes as she had before she had left. She smiled warmly and grabbed his hand, holding it gently in hers like he would break if she held him too tight. It was as if in that moment all those years had not long since past and they were back walking the orphanage's halls with her holding his hand just like that. It reminded him of those days when he had taken care of her, of when she had been his little sister with big innocent eyes and a heart so alive it made up for his dead one.

He tightened his hold on her hand, making the grip firmer and watched her light shine brighter as she smiled up at him. Harry couldn't help but smile, ever so small back at her and it made his entire demeanor all the more welcoming, though no less intimidating. When they finally reached the outdoors Harry breathed a barely audible sigh of relief and made his way towards the small lake that Hogwarts was built next to, the Durmstrang sailboat still docked in its waters.

"So Suzie, have you kept your promise?" She smiled and nodded enthusiastically while bringing out her locket from under her school robes. He patted her head to settle her down and opened it up to look at the picture inside; it was worn from time but still very easy to make out. Harry closed it with a snap when he found his elite trying to not so subtly look inside, and didn't stop to wonder why he had done so.

Her smile turned sly then, "Have you kept it like YOU promised?" He nodded and turned his head to the side so she could see his one odd earring in his left ear next to his other matching pairs. She beamed up at him after that and then got a look on her face like she wanted to ask for something but didn't want to say it. Harry wondered at how he could still pick up her facial give away after all this time, "What is it?" Suzie looked startled and a little embarrassed, like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Well…would you…would you play for me again?"

--x--

Sirius was a little nervous and kept fiddling with his robes, hair, shoes, practically everything on him to make sure he looked perfect. James was laughing behind him, finding his anxiety very funny because he had always been the ladies man before. He didn't know what it was about this girl that had him so very nervous but something did, enough so that his hands were already sweating.

He chuckled a little hysterically before finally deciding he looked well enough to head down to the Hall for breakfast and the biker girl. Merlin, he didn't even know her name. James just patted him on his back and they headed down to meet up with Remus and Lily. He had been so excited about seeing her, nervous too, so it was a little disappointing when she didn't show up at the hall during breakfast.

Instead of trying to seduce his future wife he had to sit for over an hour while the Headmaster argued with the others about the class schedules and the exchange program. It was frustrating to say the least and he hadn't managed to pay attention to anything too distracted with thoughts of HER. Really, it was so bad that the others started to ask James what was wrong with him and when they found out about his 'future wife' they all had a good laugh at him.

Lily thought it was adorable and immediately agreed to help him win her over, Remus thought he was kind of getting ahead of himself, and James, well James just backed him up like a Best Mate should. Since she wasn't there at the Hall, Sirius convinced the others to help him search for her so he could finally meet her and ask her out. They spilt up agreeing to meet up in thirty minutes at the library and see if anyone found her.

Sirius was nervous again; he really didn't know what he was going to say if he was the one that met up with her and it made him jittery to think about it. Still, he pulled himself together and put on his infamous cocky grin. He needed to be confident in himself after all girls liked confidence…right? He shook himself, and began to strut down the hall, he couldn't let himself get too nervous before he even said hello.

She was amazing, his biker girl, all rebellion and attitude, not to mention her body was great too! She would be his wife, he'd dote on her like James did to Lily, and she'd be Lily's best mate like James' was his. It'd be perfect, they'd have a cute little boy and James would get Lily pregnant with a cute little girl. Their kids would get married and they'd really be family, yes; his perfect life. He was so distracted by his daydreams it startled him when he heard her voice down the hall.

His smile grew cockier and turned his full attention to her, he had to charm her still. However his smile dropped a little when he saw her walking a little close to Snivellus with the biggest smile on her face. All he could think was 'oh hell no' before his temper took over and he scowled at the approaching two. There was no way he'd let Snivellus of all people try to move on his girl, he conveniently forgot he had yet to even talk to her.

"Hey there Snivellus! Whatcha do drug the poor girl?" Sirius said nastily. He turned, a cocky smile on his face, and bowed in a exaggerated manner while taking the startled girl's hand to kiss it. "Sirius, Sirius Black at your service Madam, I'll rescue you from this overgrown bat." He chuckled like it was all some great joke; Severus was scowling at him and it made Sirius feel a little better.

Madeline looked at the pompous man before her, trying to put a finger on why he seemed so familiar and he cocked a cheesy grin at her again. When he bowed to take her hand to kiss it a light went on in her head, and she began to try to pull her hand from his firm grasp. A shiver went up her body, gross, he was **touching **her and she didn't like it he reminded her way too much of Kade. It made her uncomfortable to think about it, their personalities were just way to similar from what she could see and even their cocky grins were the same.

"Madeline Winter, would you be so kind as to unhand me now?" She asked a little stiffly, his smile wavered for a moment before he let go and it came back full force. "So Madeline, how old are you?" he asked totally ignoring Severus who was still standing there waiting for her. "I'm sorry did I say you could address me in such a familiar way? I must have forgotten that part in our short conversation." She said in a too sweet voice, tone sarcastic and she smiled when she saw Severus smirk. "Oh, do forgive me!" He barked a laugh, "I'm not a very formal person".

"I can see that," she said in a drawling tone while looking him up and down, barely suppressing a sneer. Severus looked like he was more amused now than angry at this man's intrusion. Sirius was a handsome man, all roguishly wild and full of cocky grins. He had a light tan that comes from being outside a lot, his voice was rough like he'd just gotten over a cold and would make a pleasant shiver go down most women's spines. However, Madeline had long since gotten over pretty boys with false smiles and arrogant strides.

She passed a glance at Severus, now he was much more her type that is IF she was looking, which she wasn't, no of course not! She tried to stop herself from chuckling nervously, and tried to pay attention to whatever bullshit the guy was saying. But her gaze was drawn back to the scowling Severus as he tried in vain to make the annoying man leave. Severus wasn't handsome in the traditional sense, with his hooked nose and pale skin. But Madeline found him undeniably attractive, with his sexy deep voice, silky black hair and smoldering dark eyes you could just drown in. Yes, Severus was much better a catch than this frivolous unkempt man arguing with him.

Severus was witty, sarcastic, clever, and a brilliant potions Master…not to mention sexy as all hell. Really even if she had only just met the man Madeline could see he was a good catch and it made her wonder why no one had snatched him yet. Eventually she got tired of being ignored by the two men while they bitched at each other like schoolboys so she went to get Severus' attention. "Severus?" They shut up, finally, to turn their attention to her and Madeline just smiled at Severus, getting a mischievous glint in her eye when she thought of something. She stepped closer to him, he was nervous but hiding it well, she put a gentle hand on his arm while smiling warmly.

"I'm going to look for Tristen, he'll be missing me by now," her voice held amusement, "I'll see you later, or tomorrow? Same place?" Her smile turned sly as she quickly got on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as a goodbye and then she left before it really registered what happened. The shouting she heard when she was a little while away was worth any embarrassment tomorrow in her opinion. She laughed quietly, that Sirius really needed an ego check and she didn't mind finding the excuse to get close to Severus.

She went looking for Harry but when she heard a beautiful melody being played outside she knew just where to go.

--x--

Harry was surprised that this was all she asked of him after being apart for so long, but still it was Suzie. She was always a little strange and he smiled a little while patting her on the head while she beamed up at him. Well, if that was all she wanted then she would have it, "Sure Suzie, I'll play for you." She just lit up at that and exclaimed, "It'll be just like old times!" His elite looked very surprised, but then again he was surprising them a lot today. They weren't used to this side of him, but they weren't Suzie; they couldn't ever know what it was like before magic.

Suzie sat down at his feet, smiling and waiting for him to begin. He gave a cursory glance around and saw his elites weren't the only ones that followed them out today. Suzie's little following of friends had come also, along with his foolish little brother (he held back his sneer), and a few others. Well, for them this would be a novel experience as Harry was sure they weren't used to the rather amazing way Noctiluca students played.

He smirked and summoned his violin from his hand in a light show, which usually didn't happen without him willing it so. In his hand he held his beautiful white violin and pure black reed, he made it a point to bow to Suzie. She laughed a little and clapped her delight. His elite smiled a little, happy to see him so playful and sat down where they were standing wanting to listen in too. With flourish he brought his violin to his chin and began to play, the melody was different from his usual ones. It was pretty; yes like they all were but while it was tinged with sadness it was also a bit joyful as well.

He quickly captivated all who were in hearing range, though he did not know it as he concentrated on Suzie before he closed his eyes to give into the music she evoked in him. It was light, cheerful almost, like the dawning of a new day but still beneath that joy was a deep well of sadness that drew people in. Some who had been in the castle on their way to class, stopped, and began to venture outside to listen to whoever it was playing such a beautiful song.

It held a yearning in it, a yearning for joy, a wanting, but also it held a mourning quality like a lover yearning for a lost partner. It was haunting, even in its joyfulness, it was sad, told of loneliness and happiness all rolled up in a melody that caught your heart. It brought sad smiles on some faces and tears to some eyes, though it brought the same feeling to everyone who could hear it, a sort of blissfulness. When he finished the applause was almost deafening, still Harry only had eyes for the girl smiling up at him from his feet.

He could still see her six years old, with a gape toothed smile and a too big heart trying to make him let her in. She hadn't changed from that little girl to him, she would always be that girl who needed him to brush her hair and hold her hand. Suzie had grown, but she remained the same in his mind. As she grabbed his hand to show him to his classroom, his elite following behind, he couldn't help but feel happy. Even with the daunting prospect of meeting up with his 'family' hanging over his head he still had something to help him get through. He had a real family, in Suzie and in Madeline, which was enough for him.

Harry wondered when it was he had gotten so soft, but then again trying to keep those two out of his crippled heart was like trying to stop the sun from shining or the rain from falling. Still, even in this small little contentment he found with them there was a loneliness that haunted his step. They couldn't truly understand what it was that made him what he was; they couldn't join him in his darkness they were to bright. Tom could, to an extent, but in the end he was still a memory trapped in a book and he was a boy standing alone in the aching eternity that was the dark.

Truly he had never felt more alone than in that moment with Suzie holding his hand, smiling that big bright smile and his elite at his back. Something made him wonder if he would forever be trapped in this darkness alone, or if someone would eventually come to stand with him.

--x--

Classes took longer than expected, but Harry managed to get through the day without killing and/or torturing them. Which was a feat considering half the day was spent with Suzie who was being tailed by his annoying 'little brother'. When he had found out about how Clark had taken to stalking her Harry had offered to set him straight (which would have included a very satisfying two hour torture session) but Suzie told him not to bother.

After they had managed to get through the mediocre drivel that Hogwarts called a curriculum most of the Noctiluca students went back to their dorms so they could enjoy dinner. They ate there, with the right meals before heading down to the Hall to watch the rest eat what they considered slops. Really, it was all way to greasy to be healthy in any sense and not to mention most of what they were serving tasted the same. They did give it to them that they had some decent desserts; Harry was partial to the Trickle Tarts.

By the end of the dinner though most of them were way past ready to go to bed and as such were somewhat impatient to get to the selecting of Champions. Dumbledore looked ridiculous in his strangely colored robes as he stepped up to the Goblet awaiting the names. It flared to life and everyone held his or her breath in anticipation as the first charred paper drifted down to Dumbledore's waiting hand.

"Victor Krum!" the Durmstrang champion headed to the indicated back room followed by his classmates/fans applause. It flared again, "Kairi Maddocks!" The Beauxbatons champion got up gracefully to join her fellow champion in the room. It flared once more, "Percy Weasley!" The Gryffindors roared their approval that one of them got picked and he headed red faced to join the others. Everyone got quiet when the goblet flared again, "Tristen Winter!" Harry smirked and got up composedly to his cultured applause to follow the others to the back room.

However before he reached it the goblet flared to life once more causing him to pause before he could step into the room. There was a silence so deafening one could have heard a pin drop and Dumbledore caught this last charred paper with some dread. He called out in some disbelief, "Harry Potter?" and Harry preceeded into the backroom without drawing attention to himself. Though, he had his head bowed just enough so they couldn't see his smirk. Whoever had put his true name into the goblet was going to be in for a surprise. After all there was no rule stating that he had to acknowledge that he was that champion. No one said he just couldn't compete for both names, he would have laughed, if this was some ploy to gain his attention it had worked…now to figure out who was trying to draw him out.

**A.N. lol So yeah, I hate that when people write their own version of the Triwizard segment they use the same players! I mean come on is there some rule that says you HAVE to use the same people J.K. did? Lol you'll be in for more surprises next chapter! first task anyone? Lol as Always please review it helps me write and gives me some motivation! Also if you want to hear what Harry played look up Vanessa-Mae's Aurora song, lol I know I use her a lot but I just love that girl! Lol See you next time! Chapter 13: In the Company of Secrets. **


	13. In the Company of Secrets

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING…if I did Harry would NOT have ended up with Ginny of all people! ~_~**

**A.N. hey here it is…as always no beta so please be kind! Lol I got sorta stuck on this one guys! Lol next chapter is the first Task and I'm so excited about writing it!!! Please Review! **

**Chapter 13: In the Company of Secrets **

As Harry entered the room he was assaulted by the tense energy radiating from the other three champions and in the darkness they had yet to notice him. The fire in the hearth was the only light to see by and it created plenty of shadows in which to immerse himself with. He wanted to have a chance to check out the competition before they had a chance to do the same to him.

Victor Krum was easy enough to figure out, he was the only one that truly entered the cup from Durmstrang as every other student just entered his name and not their own. It was an interesting display of power, having all the Durmstrang students bend to his will by submitting only his name and giving up their chance to ensure his. Though Harry had to wonder if it was Krum or if it was his wily Headmaster.

Not that it mattered much anyway, Victor, while having an above average power level, was barely above an idiot when it came to intellect and that's what really made a difference. Half of the competition would be testing their intelligence, their creativity, and their strength of will. No, Victor wasn't one he was too worried about, and with that in thought he turned his attentions to the others.

Kairi Maddocks, now she _was_ very interesting indeed even though he wasn't very close to her he could feel the difference in her magic and see it in the way she moved. The way her eyes flashed every so often in the light, oh, he could tell she was very different from the others. She wasn't human, no; he would bet anything that she was a creature of some sort, one that could pass very easily as human.

The way she held herself was very regal, and the way her eyes shined as she stared at the other two gave away her intelligence…that along with her power made her dangerous. His glowing emerald eyes turned to the only one left in the room; the only one left now was the self-conscious looking boy. He held himself stiffly, as if at any moment he would be expected to perform some duty by some important official.

He looked painfully well mannered, reasonably intelligent, and he had moderate power level…not weak just not great by ay means. Percy Weasley had the family's infamous carrot colored hair and pale skin, not attractive by any means more awkward looking than anything else. He was redeemable, if he got himself a tan and built his body up a bit so he stopped looking like a weed and more like a man. For this competition though he wasn't that much of a threat to Harry and in fact the only one he considered his competition was Kairi.

There was a bang behind him, signaling the others arrival and his queue to step into the light to stand by the other competitors in a very casual way. They could hear them before they saw them, they were arguing loudly with Fudge about what seemed to have been deemed the 'Harry potter situation'. It seemed that they didn't know what to do about having his name pulled from the cup considering they had no idea where the boy was.

"The point is that no one here knows where the Blazes the boy has run off to! If he doesn't compete than he loses his magic it's that simple!"

"I will have to object Minister, we have no way of contacting the child. Without proper notifications than Harry wont know he has to compete or else he loses his magic." Dumbledore stated in his most reasonable tone.

"Yes, that all well and good but it doesn't solve the problem we're facing right now! I'll have an ad placed in the Daily Prophet, if the boy doesn't show up and compete than his magic is forfeit and that is all I am going to say on the matter!"

Harry seriously thought that this half-baked Minister couldn't possibly be serious, there was no guarantee that everyone actually read that rag they called a newspaper. He was a little insulted that they would put so little effort into it, even Dumbledore hadn't objected to that admission and Harry had been partially expecting him to.

Then a thought occurred to him, that both infuriated him and made him the tiniest bit worried, what if Dumbledore had planned this? Or his parents? If they wanted him back now, even though he hated them, if they wanted him back to be their pawn then there was no telling what they could do. If they were willing to risk his magic Harry was wary about how far these people were willing to go to discover him.

Not that any of it really mattered he was competing any way, and if the didn't connect the dots then he would be fine. Still he sneered inside thinking about having to eventually confront the people who had brought him life. Hopefully that would only happen when he was ready to end theirs. Finally the officials turned their attention back to why they were there in the first place and began to explain what was expected of them as champions.

They discussed the weighing of the wands, the photo session they were expected to give, the interview with a reporter, and the basic rules of it all. That was the most boring part of the night because Harry didn't really care much about the rules and he was sure the other champions would agree. It was a long-standing tradition that everyone cheated, they just didn't get caught, and so this was more a formality than anything else. His eyes glowed more as he leaned back into the shadows to avoid too much attention on his part.

Whoever had placed his true name in the cup was in for a surprise, he couldn't lose his magic if he competed and he was already competing under the name Tristen Winter it mad no difference that he was entered twice. However, if he hadn't been picked for his school this whole thing would have been a very real problem and that left the question on who placed his name in the cup. He looked around the room suspicious, he had been on his guard since their arrival and something told him he would not find time to relax this year.

He couldn't hold back the slight upward tilt of on corner of his mouth; it ruined his serene image for an instant as he smirked around the room from the shadows. A movement caught from just out of his peripheral vision had him turning in that direction, to catch Percy watching him amusement shining in his eyes. The set of his body and the ease of his movement raised his suspicions dramatically. Perhaps he had been wrong…maybe he did have some competition after all, his gaze landing on the other two, oh yes this would be _**fun.**_

---------------------------x----------------------

Minerva bustled down the corridor that would take her to the Headmaster's office more than a little miffed that the Weasley Twins had managed to make her late…AGAIN. She huffed a little after stating the ridiculous password and riding the slow stair well a little impatiently. When she got to the door finally she didn't wait for Albus to do his traditional, 'enter', and just went right in…a little more loudly than necessary.

Fillius, Pomona, and Severus were already there, seated and apparently awaiting her arrival with Albus (that damn twinkle on full blast). "Ah, now that our Lioness has arrived we can get right down to it, but first Minerva do take a seat, tea, biscuit, a lemon drop perhaps?" He said with a flamboyant wave of his hand. She barely suppressed her eye-roll, really whoever had stirred up that rumor that Albus and her had romantic inclinations towards another should check their eyesight. Albus was so bent she was amazed he could see straight, really she wondered why he had never settled down with some young buck when he had been in his prime.

"Now, I believe Severus was going to tell us his impressions first?" He smiled all grandfatherly, and Minerva barely stopped herself from shuttering. Sometimes she swore Albus only kept Severus around for his voice and eye candy…it would be Albus to do something like that. After all he DID pick on the boy enough to raise the suspicions in her book, a quick look at the subtly uncomfortable Severus told her he may have had the same thought.

"Well, the Durmstrang students were adequate…though nothing truly extraordinary and well enough behaved. The Beauxbatons are very well mannered but are nearly abysmal at potions. Which truly isn't a surprise, they are being taught by that idiot Potions Master Deluge." He said a bit snidely and with a hint of smugness. He shifted a little though as if uncomfortable, "The Noctiluca students, the younger years at least, well I have to say I'm impressed."

The others sat in stunned silence, mouths slightly agape, Snape NEVER complimented anyone ever unless it couldn't be helped they must have been truly extraordinary to gain such praise. Dumbledore coughed, "Well, right, um, what about you Pomona?"

"Well, as you know I've only been graced with the younger years today but I'm afraid I have to agree with Severus. The Noctiluca students were simply amazing! Beauxbatons did well enough, better then most of ours but Durmstrang students…well they need a little work." She said it all good-naturedly and honest as most of her house would.

Dumbledore shifted a little in his throne like chair, "And what about you Fillius?" The diminutive man shifted a little in his high seat and blushed a bit. "Well Beauxbatons did well enough about on par with my Ravenclaws, Durmstrang students had a bit of difficulty but I suspect that it was because of the nature of the spells. As most of us suspect the light spells gave them a bit of trouble at first but they handled it well." He shifted a bit more, acting as if he wished to stall.

Eventually he broke and told them what they really wanted to know, "The Noctiluca students were Phenomenal! I was utterly in awe of their ease with the spells. They performed them right after being shown how, on the first try, EVERY ONE of them! I was in a tizzy trying to keep up with them. Also," he looked around nervously, "one of the Noctiluca students pulled me aside when I was making my rounds around the classroom and asked when they would be taught the OTHER ways to cast! As in other than a WAND! It was mighty exciting but before I could question him on it further that Tristen boy silenced him." He looked a little disappointed about that but truthfully so were they all.

Dumbledore smiled a bit uneasily, twinkle a bit dimmed, "And you Minerva?" She looked a bit flustered when everyone's attention shifted to her and felt more than a little nervous about answering. "Well, both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are at about the same level as my students. Neither are really lacking nor are they noteworthy above what we expect form our own; I'm happy to say. As for Noctiluca," She sent an apologetic glance at Albus, "they were breathtaking."

"Not once in my career had I seen anything like those students, it was like watching art being unveiled or a truly poetic scene. The way they performed…it was as if they were all journeymen in this field, truly, and while I'm not one to brag I very much doubt even Miss Granger could compare. Also," she glanced to Fillius, "while the Winter boy wasn't paying much mind I saw one of the girls trying the spell without her wand and it looked as if it was going to work…until he had caught her wrist and stopped it. Really that Mr. Winter is the obvious leader there is no doubt."

Dumbledore nodded gravely, "It is as I've suspected, we are outmatched by them." They didn't need to ask whom he was referring to but said nothing. They very much believed that Dumbledore could match them, but with the rest of them dragging him down they doubted they could win against them. Should Noctiluca chose a side unfavorable to their cause in the future it would be a perilous blow. Still there was hope; they needed to find Harry now more than ever and they all had faith in the old Headmaster.

-------------------------x--------------------

Suzie blinked as the sun shone brightly in her eyes and yawned, stretching across her bed languidly reading herself for another day. She smiled brightly, truly this as going to be the best year ever, after all she had finally gotten back her beautiful, cold, caring, distantly kind big brother. It was really amazing how much he had grown over the years, how beautiful he'd become and how gentle he still was with her.

She admitted she had been a bit nervous holding his hand yesterday, at first, because it HAD been years since she had last done such a thing. And Suzie knew her brother, he wasn't one for physical affection but he had pleasantly surprised her when he had taken a firmer hold on her. His music had been breath-taking too…and it was as if he had played it just for her like before.

The other girls were so jealous over her it was actually very amusing and after seeing how much her brother had changed it wasn't surprising, at least not for her. Harry had always been beautiful but his mature artful looks he had now were breathtaking. Not to mention the 'bad-boy' earrings, the wind-swept hair, his soulful playing, his almost unnatural grace and his commanding air made him just…awe-inspiring.

Still, as she bounced around the room getting ready in her own perky way she couldn't help but wonder what her brother thought of the attention. He was a private person, the exact opposite of her very open personality and she hoped she hadn't upset him by drawing all the attention his way. Though he didn't seem to mind and spent most of his day quietly observing the castle along with his little band of followers.

Today she would introduce everyone from her 'group' to him and hope he approved of her choices, really it was as exciting as it was nerve raking. Suzie let out a big whoosh of breath before se got herself worked up over nothing and sighed glancing at the mirror to see if she looked all right. Smiling she began to skip her way to where she knew her big brother would be and humming a little tune as she went (incidentally being what she considered HER song that her brother had once sung for her).

----------------------------------x-----------------------------

Harry sneered at the mirror in his room, it was pathetically enchanted for shallow people and he hated it. The thing kept commenting on his back, how he would have been so pretty if not for those scars and what not. Finally he could not take it anymore and he laid his hand on it sending a pulse of magic to literally shatter the spell. He looked on with a bit of detachment at the blood dribbling drown his arm from the cuts from the glass.

Pain was something he was used to and it calmed him somewhat, it was something familiar so it settled him in a way he hadn't thought it would. Harry carefully took the shards out realizing he needed to treat the wound before he met up with his entourage to head down to the Hall. He whistled breezily and Tink was fluttering around him in a moment making chiming sounds as she floated around him.

Wordlessly he held his hand out and she was quick to land on his wrist and heal it the best she could. The wound closed enough so that there was only a few pink-healing lines. It would do for now with a glamour over it no one would be the wiser. Tink fluttered in front of his face and he graced her with a small smile and a murmur of thanks. She twittered happily and flew to her favorite spot on his head doing her best to look like an ordainment.

He vanished the blood and glass after quickly getting ready in his new uniform, all the while making sure that no one could see anything he didn't want revealed. Such as his scars or the barely there bulge, which his enchanted clothes hid, as Grace slithered under his clothes enjoying his body heat. He stepped out to his private room and began to pack whatever he thought he might need for the day.

All the while he couldn't help but think about how tightly wound he was lately. He knew it was because of his family's presence added to the fact that already someone was trying to discover him. He sighed, and Madeline had been distracted lately, something he didn't like at all. She had missed hugging him last night, and this morning, not that he wanted her to of course it was just that he had gotten used to such things.

Something was bothering her, he could tell and surprisingly it wasn't his 'real' parent's presence it was something else entirely. He could tell because she wasn't angry like the way she always was when she thought about them. No, instead she seemed almost embarrassed, or maybe it was excited as she had bounced out pretty early this morning. Not that he had woken up earlier than normal so he could spend time with her; it wasn't that at all he had just happened to wake up as she was leaving.

He scowled, he didn't like it here nothing was like he was used to and not to mention his 'family' was uncomfortably close. Releasing a breath he schooled his face into his impassive serene mask, he needed to be fine today so he could keep the others in check. It was vital they not see him weakened otherwise everything would crumble around them, still he would need to find himself some time tonight to release all this pent up energy. Vaguely, as he walked out the door, he contemplated calling upon Alucard again as that man always managed to make everything else fade to the background when he was around.

------------------------------x---------------------------

Severus sneered as he gild down the hallway, his robe billowing impressively around his feet as he made his way to his personal labs. He wasn't anxious about seeing her again, no, not at all. In fact he had put the fact that she had KISSED him to the furthest corner of his mind. Yes, he had forgotten it because it was trivial and didn't matter. No mind that said woman was utterly brilliant at potions, or had such a fiery spirit, or that she was possibly one of the most attractive women he had come across in a long time.

He scowled at himself again trying to push the whole thing from his mind and finding himself wholly unsuccessful. She wouldn't be there in his lab again, not after yesterday after all THE Sirius Black had paid her attention. He was sure that the infuriating woman was just playing hard to get and using him to add fuel to the fire. He scowled, well he wouldn't be used, no, he wouldn't **allow** himself to be used.

When he entered the lab and saw her standing there, preparing for another brewing day, he told himself he didn't care. He told himself he was confronting her about yesterday because he refused to be used, not because the kiss had thrown him off-balance with it's innocent gesture. "I see you've decided to invade my labs once again, Potion Master Winter, I can't say I'm very surprised," he drawled, voice thick with sarcasm.

She turned around, hair in another messy bun, and a pretty little smile on her face. "Oh, Severus I didn't hear you come in. Though I have to say I thought we had gotten past this Title business I told you yesterday! Call me Madeline!" She had an easy grin about her like she was talking to an old friend and not someone she had just met the other day. Still he forced himself to be stiffer then usual wanting to get this nonsense out of the way, "Quite, well I just wanted to say that if you want to use my lab that will be tolerated, however, do not expect to USE me to play hard to get with Black."

For a moment she just looked shocked and then she got angry, a scowl quickly making it ay onto her face along with a fierce glare that rivaled his own. "Now listen here you pompous prick!" She took that as her queue to poke him in the chest, "If you think for _one __**moment**_ I would be attracted to that arrogant ass-hole you've got another thing coming!"

"I kissed you yesterday, on the cheek, in prefect innocence! I was simply saying good-bye! However as I can see that it was wholly unappreciated you can bet it will not be happening again!" With each point she gave him an equally hard poke right in his chest until eventually he began to back away slowly. It did him no good however as she just retaliated by advancing on him every step of the way.

"I am a grown woman and have long since matured past the age where men like that jerk Black are even remotely attractive to me because I know their games. Men like Black are arrogant son-of-a-bitches, that don't know sincerity from a horse's ass and are more then happy to use the woman that throw themselves at them as playthings! I HATE men like Black," she kept poking him and he was just to stunned by her fury to respond, shocked into silence as it were. "I have long since had my eyes forcibly open to the real ways of too handsome for their own good men like Black, in fact, their soave charmer looks make me sick! Men like that don't know how to handle a woman, let alone how to treat one they way they should!"

She got a far away look in her eye all of a sudden, though she had stopped poking him by then and had simply laid her hand on his chest in absentmindedness. "Men like that are to be avoided, besides more often than not they're as dumb as a stump," she looked him in the eye, her own glazed with thoughtfulness, "No, men like Black don't interest me at all. I'd much rather be with a man whose intelligent enough to keep up with me, and understand what I'm saying when I talk about my Potion projects. A man whose experienced, whose not afraid to tell me his opinion, a man who will stand beside me and not in front of me…a man like…" she stopped suddenly a small blush dusting its way across her cheeks. "Well, never mind that! What I meant to say before I gat carried away Severus is that a boy like Black is not worth the ground I walk on and I would not put up such an effort for him. I did not mean for you to take that kiss good-bye so seriously and for that I am sorry. Be assured it wont happen again."

With that she turned and left a stunned Snape slumped against the desk she pushed him up against while she returned to her brewing. He was speechless, and more then a little shocked. What she had implied had stopped all thought processes for a good five minutes while he tried to reconcile his preconceived notions of her once again. Snape was quickly finding that one just couldn't assume with Madeline, as almost always she manages to surprise you. Still as he got ready to brew he couldn't help but cast stunned, measuring glances at her from the corner of his eyes.

An hour past and he still hadn't managed to make himself talk to her, instead immersing himself in the relaxing art of brewing. Madeline finished her potion twenty minutes later, and still as she began to pack away her things he could not force himself to speak. Then as she was heading for the door, he had convinced himself his chance had been lost, but she turned to look at him at the last moment. There was a smirk on her lips like she knew something he didn't, "Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow I expect, do try to do well this upcoming lesson my adopted son will be attending your class and I do hope you manage to impress him!" She made to go through the door but paused halfway, "Oh, and Severus," he looked up at her still not knowing what to say, "I accept your apology and would hope you've learned your lesson about assuming things and accusing before asking!" She smiled a sly smile at him and went through the door. Leaving a very confused Severus behind wondering how the hell women managed to do that.

In the end he decided as all wise men do that women will never be understood by a man such as himself and let the matter drop. It appeared she had forgiven him and any unpleasantness had been brushed aside so that they could continue their…friendship??? He sighed, women were just too complicated and he could feel a headache begin to throb between his eyes. It was best he pushed the whole debacle to the back of his mind for now, after all he did have work to do and a lesson to prepare.

---------------------------x----------------------------

Harry stared with impassive eyes at the professor before him and began to wonder what the hell he was doing attending a Potions class when he already had his Mastery. However, Madeline had asked this of him so he gritted his teeth and bore it for now. Still the level if incompetent professor at this 'school' was utterly amazing, not to mention the second-rate curriculum Harry could almost feel his I.Q. dropping.

Though he had to admit that out of all the class he had attended in the last two days Potions was definitely the least disappointing. Harry could tell that the Professor, Snape, was holding back considerably what he imagined his students should be able to accomplish. It was like he expected geniuses to attend this special ed school, Harry sighed, the saddest part was seeing that he was pushing them towards greatness only for them to fail spectacularly.

Really, Snape's expectations were almost at level with Professor Heartsworth at Noctiluca and that was saying something. It made Harry almost pity the man who strove for greatness among the trash that went here, even if there were a few exceptions to the rule. Suzie, for one, did not deserve to have her potential limited in a school like this though Harry knew she would not have what it takes for Noctiluca.

He brushed that uncomfortable thought aside and concentrated on brewing the Confundus potion. It was an easy potion to make, however, it was equally easy to mess it up which would end with it exploding in their faces, if one weren't careful. Already half of the Hogwarts students were in the infirmary and as usual his elite were performing beautifully, not one mistake where he could see.

Even if there was a close call with Cleo, potions had never been her strong point but he had managed to catch it in time to divert disaster. After that she had worked hard to make it perfection, with a little help she had managed it and they would soon be done with classes for the day. Something in which Harry was very thankful for, as he did not know how much longer he could keep the students in check.

It seemed like every time he turned around one was trying to wandlessly cast some such spell or perform some act of magic wholly uncommon in this school. It wasn't that they were idiots like most of the Hogwarts population it was just that they were so used to doing such acts it came naturally to them. For Noctiluca students magic was their lives, every day they were practicing it, whether it was in the hall, the classroom, or their own rooms. Every day there was something new to learn, some new direction to explore or some artifact to study.

However, Hogwarts was much more stale, no magic was allowed in the halls, or outside of classrooms. The classes themselves were dreadfully dreary and everything seemed so muted here, Harry understood why they felt like it was stifling even if it had only been two days. All Hogwarts had to compensate for it was everything here moved, the staircases, the paintings, the suits of armor, and even the location of some of the door. Still, it was not enough to help fill the void that Noctiluca had left in their lives and Harry could see it affecting their students.

To put it simply they were terribly bored, theses were students used to lessons from sun up to sin down and a seemingly limitless library. At Noctiluca there had always been something to experiment with, something to help you grow as a wizard/witch but here there was nothing. Harry did admit that Slytherin's great Hall ceiling was an impressive bit of spell working, the Potion labs were great (if a little misused), and the towers were impressive. However, that was all a reflection of the founders and Harry had yet to come across something that was new work.

Even the wards were shabby and fading as if no one had added to them in hundreds of years. It was almost enough to make him sick, the castle was a work of art but it was a tattered worn art nonetheless. At Noctiluca Academy every graduating class added to the wards power, every year had to present some collective spell work to present to the Headmistress, every student contributed something to leave their own marks on the ancient school. Hell, some even added on whole buildings like the new Green Houses or the wood working shop.

Harry himself was planning on adding a metalworking shop given his favor for creating his own amulets, charmed jewelry and the like. It would be favorable in the end to have a place equipped for such things as his room could only take so much damage. After all in a place like that he could actually make bigger pieces, not just small trinkets like he has been, like swords or armor. Hogwarts was just so bare in comparison to Noctiluca and it made it harder to adjust to the slow pace lifestyle these students were used to.

Still. Harry managed to keep his face serenely blank of all these troubling thoughts and when his potion was finished he handed it in making a quick shot for the door. Staying in the castle's walls was just serving to irate him more and so he headed for the nearest exit. Suzie and her friends would have to find him later because he could not take one more moment in this dying school.

That is what it came down to, Hogwarts Castle was dying from these wizards neglect and Harry could feel it with every step he took in her once great halls. When he finally made it to the grounds he realized that he had lost his entourage somewhere along the way and he was alone for the first time at Hogwarts. Then he felt Grace shift on his skin, and Tink tug a little on his hair as she moved. It was a little relief to know he wasn't alone here, not with his parents so close, the unidentified pursuer, and prattling foreign students around.

He wandered for a bit, shaking his head at some ruins he saw every so often, or feeling sadness every time he got to close to the Castle. Eventually he could not take being continually shrouded in the tattered wards so he moved towards the 'forbidden' forest that bordered the grounds. This forest was not as full of life as Noctiluca but it was enough to be away from the burdens that the Castle constantly reminded him of.

Harry was so consumed with escaping he did not register the magical signature following him from the distance. He just continued forward, going deeper and deeper into the eerily empty forest filled with not but trees so far. When he reached a clearing he could see the sun going down in the distance its dying rays of light filtering through the trees making the forest glow. The clearing had a few sparse blooms, some pathetic shrubs, and was encircled in twisted dark trees. In all, Harry was coming to the realization that even the magical forest was dying off slowly also along with the Castle.

It was just to sad and he could not take looking at the dreary scenery for one moment longer, so Harry decided he would do something about it. He headed to the center of the clearing, crouching down he grabbed some of the dirt there tsking under his breath when he felt how low on nutrients it was and he sat down gently. He dusted off his hands and acknowledged that this would probably take a lot out of him.

Still in his opinion it would be worth it in the end and so he gathered himself, preparing himself for the immense work of magic he was about to perform. He never noticed the pair of dark eyes studying him nearby, hidden in one of the Forest's sorrier looking bushes. Harry summoned his Violin with his serene face suddenly seeming to relax as he held it in his hand and began. It was full of life, his melody, and yet it was filled with melancholy it had such a vivid questing in it.

Immediately his silent watcher was captivated and even if he had wanted to leave he found that he couldn't move a muscle. The violin's sweet song sang out and as Harry closed his eyes to allow himself to be one with the music and the Magic the clearing around him was changing. As his tune took a higher note suddenly baby down soft grass sprouted up right underneath him spreading out like a green halo around him.

His Magic began to pulse throughout his body in time with his melody, and the cords continued on in their high note, seeming to quest for something. As another crescendo built up flowers began to erupt from the grass, an amazing array of colors, and as his violin kept up the high notes more things began to change in the clearing with Harry at the dead center of it all. The trees that surrounded him began to lose their grayish hue turning into a deep brown, soon the once bare branches sprouted thick green leaves.

The melancholy tone was still present but it still rang with life as it echoed through the trees calling all manner of things to the once dead looking clearing. As a higher note struck there was a low rumbling sounding almost like drums and water erupted from the now rich looking soil. It filled the crater that was left from the initial explosion forming a small pound near where Harry was sitting.

The water was crystal clear and so blue that it seemed to sparkle with the stars shining above. As the tune took a lower note, a sadder on almost, small creatures started to appear as if summoned by the enchanting music. Small glittering white fairies fluttered about him and Tink flew up to join them in dance, though she was a giant among them they welcomed her with reverence. A unicorn walked up slowly to the edge of the clearing to nibble on the grass, a tiny shadow fox slunk along the newly formed pond and fireflies flickered along with their fairy counter-parts.

In all added with Harry glowing ethereally in the center a picture that was so perfectly beautiful that it seemed as if the very world stopped for just one moment to take it in. Harry continued to play, melody going faster as he reached the end, but slowly down gently. He played so softly at the end it seemed as if the music just faded smoothly into the background when he was finished.

When Harry opened his eyes, the clearing had been transformed and he was a bit tired from the magic spent to make it so. However, it was not as much as he had thought it would take and after a few moments resting peacefully taking in his revitalized surroundings he was fine. Still, such moments never lasted and when a darkness advanced through the trees the many little creatures ran in fear from the clearing, no doubt to return later after the danger had past.

Tink just chimed in disappointment that the dance was over and returned to her place on Harry's head, she knew this darkness after all. Even her Master knew its name, "Alucard", Harry whispered out in silky tones not bothering to turn to face him content to continue gazing up at the stars. There was a deep chuckle that sent shivers down the spine of Harry's silent watcher freezing him in place once more.

Alucard stepped regally into the clearing, moonlight lighting him up like a god among mortals and caressing his skin as if he was a lover. The dark Vampire smiled his frightening cocky smile ferally at Harry, who in turn paid him no mind and simply waited patiently for him to speak. "You are a hard one to resist little one." Alucard said huskily while he kneeled down behind Harry, tongue darting out to lick the shell of his ear. Harry tensed, and the No-life King smiled all the wider as his arms encircled him to trap the boy against him.

"But, you are worth the wait," he made a show of caressing Harry's exposed neck with his nose, "so delicious" he whispered against his skin causing Harry to shiver. Fangs lengthened and grazed the flesh of his neck teasingly as Alucard's tongue licked across Harry's skin. "Your MINE," Alucard said fiercely before his fang sunk into Harry's flesh to gain the prize of his sweet blood.

He sucked deep, feeling Harry's heart pulsing through his tongue as he continued to lick and suckle at Harry's delicate neck. All the while the observer in the bushes could not seem to move, and as Harry's eyes closed as he moaned into Alucard's vampiric kiss, evil crimson eyes flashed. The ruby eyes glowed eerily catching dark spying eyes easily in a stare, later said spy would swear that he saw the vampire smirk while he continued to feed.

Alucard drank deep; having missed the taste of his little one's blood and hands began to stroke tense muscles as he feed in fervor. Harry hated to admit it but he had a weakness for this, as always when Alucard feed he could think of nothing else but the pleasure of it all. Something he was quickly becoming addicted to, it made him forget how lonely he was and the burdens he carried. It made him forget the world. He needed this tonight.

When Alucard managed to stop Harry couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, still he knew it was for the best, as he felt weaker than usual. He quickly took a blood-replenishing potion from his pocket to down and he allowed Alucard to lay him down on the soft downy grass. He paid no mind to him afterwards as his head as spinning and his stomach was clenching as the potion took affect.

The No-life King rose up imperiously from the ground gliding around his little one and headed towards the concealed interloper. Said hidden watcher panicked and began to flee. However, his bounding run was no match for the incredible speed of the centuries old demon. He caught him and the great black dog gave off a horrible yelp, as he was lifted, from the ground by the back of his neck. He whimpered and that sadistic deep chuckle sounded right behind him making him shake with terror.

"Come now little doggy we both know there is a man in there somewhere," he said tauntingly, "come out little man come out." Seeing no way to escape the big black dog gave in and turned into a reasonably handsome man, Sirius Black was caught. "See now that wasn't so hard," Alucard said mockingly as he threw him to the ground knocking the breath from him. Sirius managed to painfully roll over to face his attacker and he swore as his eyes connected with the deep red one above him that he looked death in the eye that day.

Alucard gave not a thought to Sirius' panicked expression and slammed his foot squarely on his chest pinning him to the ground. Sirius thought he heard some bones crack under the pressure and the pain was horrible, just not enough to make him turn his eyes away from the monster over him. "Now listen carefully dog-man," the regal Vampire King smiled feral at him, "I enjoy feasting on my little one and something tells me your not one to keep such secrets to yourself" he added more pressure to his foot making Sirius grunt in pain.

"Now I will make this perfectly clear for you," more pressure, "you will not be telling anyone what you just saw," he heard more bones crack as his foot continued to come down on him. "If I find out you have caused an inconvenience for my little one well…" his smile showed all his pointed teeth threateningly, "let's just say you'll be begging for death by the time I'll graciously grant it." Sirius nodded his head frantically in agreement and as if he was smoke in the wind the vampire was gone in an instant.

--------------------x-------------------

As Harry made his way back to the Castle leaving his self-made haven behind he couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into him lately. He usually had more control over his emotions, something about this place put him off-balance and on edge, he didn't like it one bit. The halls echoed silence as he softly padded through them, realizing that most likely everyone would be in the great Hall he kept on going after he reached the doors. He was not ready to give up his solitude and decided this was a perfect time to explore the Castle uninhibited.

The paintings interested him the most, not because they moved, but because of the workmanship they displayed. As one artist to another seeing them was like studying a rival, most of them he smugly saw were not as elegant as his own work. The brushstrokes on some were to choppy to convey real beauty and on others the lines were to corroded due to the passing of time. Seeing them made him want to paint, so he off-handedly began to wonder in the direction he believed his room was located in.

However as he turned the last corner before his schools guest suite the ramming of someone's body into his own stopped him. Immediately his entire body froze due to the contact leaving him unable to catch himself and thus he landed painfully on the ground while the other person managed to stop herself. The collision left him dizzy, so it took him some moments before he was able to see clearly and when he could he wished he hadn't. There standing before him was one of the people he had dearly hoped to avoid, his mother.

"OH I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and I was in such a rush I didn't see you until it was too late!" She moved to help him stand by Harry flinched away from the contact. He got up swiftly, inwardly disgusted that his body had come in contact with hers but somehow he had managed to keep his face serene despite it all. "Its fine." He replied in a tense monotone wanting nothing more than to run away but to do so would only raise suspicions.

"Oh well, I'm so relieved, are you alright?" She smiled a little, concern coloring her features and Harry took a moment to study her. Her red hair glowed in the candlelight, her familiar though duller green eyes were filled with worry and her heart shaped face was tilted slightly to the side conveying her confusion. She could be considered very beautiful but all Harry could see was ugliness that came with tainted betrayals. His eyes hardened, becoming colder as her face brought memories best left forgotten to the forefront of his mind.

It had been her blood that had tainted his body, her blood that had tortured him, her blood that had marked him and her blood that he had spilt that day so long ago. "Hey, do I…do I know you?" she asked in confusion drawing him out of his darker thoughts. "No," his voice was bland, his face tranquil, but his eyes were so cold it stunned her more than any curt tone would have.

How he hated her, forcing him to be in her presence to avoid suspicion because she was about as graceful as a troll. She had practically flattened him with her ogre-like lumbering. "Oh well, it's just that you look so familiar! Perhaps your parents then?" she asked tone colored with curiosity while Harry did his best to keep his body from tensing. "Their dead," he replied inwardly adding, 'to me', "I'm adopted." Her pretty (disgusting) face light up with pity and Harry resisted the urge to kill her right then. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pry; it's just that…well…I could swear I know you. Perhaps it's just me then!" She tried to smile but Harry's cold eyes kept it from her face. She looked startled for a moment as if just remembering something, "Oh my goodness, I'm going to be late! I'm terribly sorry I've got to run! Maybe I'll see you around?" she asked while running around him and continuing down the way he had come from.

Suddenly he didn't want to paint anymore as any inspiration had been crushed out of him after the filth had rammed him to the ground. Suddenly he felt very dirty and he hurried to his room heading straight for the bath not bothering to stop for a towel or an exchange of clothes. He couldn't strip down fast enough when he got into the showers; he turned the water as hot as it could go while banishing Tink and Grace from the room. He scrubbed his body until it was pink from everything, still he felt unclean and eventually he just sunk to the floor letting the piping hot water wash over him.

Soaking his hair making it cling to his back, neck and face, obscuring his eyes from view. He told himself he wasn't crying, he told himself that it was just the water stinging his eyes and that he hadn't been affected by his 'mother' in the least. He told himself many things sitting there alone in the too hot shower, and in the end he knew he was lying. Even if it was only to himself. He was lying but he needed to believe those lies, he **needed** to because they were all he had for comfort alone in this darkness that had swallowed him since that night when blood was first spilt on his hands.

As his hallow jaded eyes studied his empty hands he imagined he saw the crimson liquid there in place of the flowing water and he could almost see the knife, his first weapon. He might have ended on nightmare that day but he was coming to the realization he had just traded on for another. His family needed to die so he could be free, in fact a lot of people needed to die so he could be finally released from this loneliness. He hugged his knees to his chest and quietly told himself he would kill them all one day. He knew that **that** one wasn't a lie.

-------------------------x-----------------------

Lily ran down the hall in confusion, she just knew that there was something vaguely familiar about that boy but she just couldn't place it. His eerily glowing green eyes had been so cold looking at her that she couldn't concentrate on anything else, his features while attractive were common among wizards in Britain. Dark hair and pale skin were too common of features to pinpoint just anyone. Hell, even she had the pale skin as it came from living in a coder climate.

No, something about that boy had been off, like a memory that kept slipping out of her grasp right when she thought she had it. As she huffed her way up to Dumbledore's office she couldn't help but wonder what it was about the boy that had struck her so. When she got there she was immediately relieved to see that Sirius had yet to arrive, meaning she wasn't the only one running a bit late today. James was already up and smiling at her in greeting, Snape was scowling in the corner looking very much like a restless animal and Minerva looked as strict as ever.

Remus was fidgety, and looking worse for wear…more so than usual. However, Sirius caught most of her attention as he limped a bit through the door late and looking like he got on the wrong side of a mountain troll. "What the hell happened to you mate?" James practically shouted while rushing to help his friend to a seat. Sirius let out a wheezing laugh, "I was going for a run in the forest ran into some interesting spiders along the way…". James just shook his head at him and accepted the answer at face value.

Sirius for his part was wondering if it was wise to lie to his friend, to everyone and keep what he had just seen a secret. Then he remembered the burning crimson eyes of that Vampire as he toyed with him and knew he couldn't risk doing anything differently. The Vampire had been perfectly, painfully clear…speak a word to anyone and he was as good as dead to the world. Sirius didn't fancy dying any time soon, war or not, so he would keep his mouth shut for now. This would be his secret, besides it wasn't as if it really affected them anyway.

So what if the boy was feeding that monster, so what if he put himself in danger, he didn't owe anything to that boy and if he wanted to be stupid Sirius would let him. Still, as he shifted painfully in his seat with the others staring at him he became uncomfortably aware he was hiding something big from them. "So what did ya call us here for Dumbledore, I wanted to come before getting treated so if you don't mind can we hurry it up?" he asked with a cheeky grin and a cocky slur hoping to cover up just how much pain he was really in.

"Oh, yes quite right. Now, Severus has just finished telling me that while the Dark Mark is getting more defined he has yet to be summoned. This could mean one of two things: Voldemort has not fully regained his body which I am hopeful for…or Voldemort has lost faith in his faithfulness I dearly hope this isn't so otherwise we have lost a valuable spy position." James snorted, Sirius scowled, Lily looked nervous and Remus fidgeted in his seat, they all hoped it was the first option. Severus was the only one that didn't show any outward emotion and choose to sit stiffly with a sneer on his face.

"Now Remus I believe you have brought us some news of the Wolf packs?" Dumbledore said shifting everyone's attention to the sick looking werewolf. "Yes," he gulped, "they are in negotiations with someone but it's not Voldemort. The packs don't really talk to me, they consider me below them but I did find out they are preparing for something. What exactly, I don't know." His eyes flickered to the window and then to the ground.

Trepidation filled Remus as he thought about the wolf packs and what he had found out there. "Is that all?" Dumbledore asked with his best grandfather voice. "Yes…that's all." Remus replied feeling sick and guilty for lying to Albus, even though he had no choice. He had wanted very badly to say that the Packs' heir Alpha was walking around the Castle and that if they had wanted to gain the werewolves on their side they could just take him. However, he was under the packs' magic and his werewolf side would not allow him to betray the Alpha.

It was one of the worse feelings, powerlessness, he couldn't tell them and had to live with the secret against his will. It comforted him that he didn't even know which one was the heir but with the full moon coming up he wouldn't even have that any more. Everyone wrote off his nervousness as him worrying about disappointing them so no one suspected a thing.

Severus watched every one with caution in his eyes, he knew he couldn't trust any one in this room and was on guard at all times, waiting. There was a time when he had loved Lily, he looked at the pretty redhead, and he had loved her enough to risk being killed to protect her. He had become a spy for her, he had turned sides for her and he suffered in silence for her. Yet, as he looked at her now he found he couldn't for the life of him understand why he had done so. Yes, he loved her…loved her, but he didn't love her any longer.

She still had a place in his heart, yes, the space one's first love always occupies no matter what you think of them later on. She was his first crush, he had loved her since they had been children and yet she could never return his feelings. It was because of this he was starting to question his place in this war once again. It irked him that he could be so indecisive about his stance but there was no other choice…he had to reconsider his stance. The dark was ruthless, hard, cruel and utterly open about it. Unlike the Light who hid behind kind facades to manipulate you and stab you in the back once you've fulfilled your purpose.

Voldemort had been many things but at least he didn't try to deceive you about what you were signing up for. He had spared Lily when he had asked, he cast dark eyes on James, but he also spared his hated enemy. He found he didn't know exactly what to do with his life any longer; this war was slowly killing him that at least he knew. Still he knew that he could not show his wavering alliances, could not give Dumbledore anything to question because if he did switch side he wanted to be trusted. After all, he was a professional spy and keeping secrets was what he did best.

Unnoticed by the occupants of the room a current of tension filled beneath the surface of their lives, because each had a secret they wanted to keep. The secrets held them back, were jealously guarded and filled the spaces between them like an unspoken of monster. Dumbledore, perhaps the one with the most secrets to keep, was the one who was doing his best to discover the secrets being kept from him. Each sat in the company of secrets, and felt the dulling guilt of it all weigh them down.

--------------------x---------------------

Harry stormed into his room, calm mask finally allowed to slip from his face and a furious expression taking its place. He was so angry, he started to throw anything breakable and he found satisfaction in hearing them shatter against the walls. It wasn't enough though, he sent his companions away both Tink and Grace so he could be alone in his fury. He absolutely hadn't been ready to face **her** and _not _hurt her in force. He had been so close to blowing everything, all his carefully laid plans and cleverly spun webs so he could strike her down.

He couldn't allow himself so little self-restraint, not here, not now, not at this time and yet he had wanted so badly to feel his 'mothers' blood flow between his fingers as he took the life from her. This was bad. He needed to control himself more and he had to find a way to deal before he was confronted by more of his 'family' otherwise they would not walk away alive. He had planed his perfect revenge for too long to waste it on a brief moment of fulfillment. They had to have everything they cared about stripped from them, they had to see the ones they loved die; they had to lose _**everything**_ before he would grant them death.

In desperation he snatched the ever-present journal of Tom Riddle from his front pocket and began to write with such fervor and desperation he did not stop to see what he wrote. In fact, he was writing with such abandon he didn't know he was revealing more than he had ever wanted to.

_I HATE her! I NEED to break her, stomp her, kill her, make her bleed, make her scream, I NEED it TOM!! I need her dead; I need to kill her to wash the Taint from me! Its her fault, it her blood that taints mine! It her!! She needs to be broken, needs to beg me for dead before I grant it! DAMN Lily Potter to the depths of the deepest pit of hell and brimstone fire! She is the one whose tainted me! Her blood makes me filthy! Filthy mudblood whore, she birthed me but she is NOT my MOTHER!! I need to bring her here and hurt her in this dark…so I can see her world shatter! Maybe I should kill her filthy half-blood son first, it would be fitting seeing as she abandoned me for him!_

_TRISTEN! Stop what are you talking about? Lilly Potter? What's going on?_

_Filthy mudblood whore birthed me, I was once Harry Potter, I am supposed to be their 'savior' but I'm going to kill them…I'm going to kill them all. And I'll enjoy it! I can feel it crawling under my skin TOM! It needs to be let out, that monster in me._

_Calm down… Harry…tell me what happened…_

For the next two hours Harry wrote down everything he had previously kept from Tom, his past, his plans, his dreams for revenge, his careful planning of the mass genocide of the muggles…everything. Except he didn't tell him what he had planned at the end of it all, how he planned to die but that just seemed so private. Some things one didn't share even with their closest confidant, Harry was certain Tom could never understand his desire to die at the end of it all. However, Tom took all the other things in stride and even though Harry could never tell what the memory charmed book was thinking he was relieved to finally tell someone everything. It calmed him enough so that he didn't immediately kill the huge black Raven when it flew through his window unannounced.

He said his good-bye to Tom, placing him back into his pocket before taking the letter from the Raven's talons. The envelope was thick and fancy looking, a deep green trimmed in silver with the Death Eaters' symbol on the back. He knew it was from Voldemort, and he checked it for spells before he even thought about opening it.

_Dear Potions Master Winter,_

_You are hereby cordially invited to the Dark Allies Meeting taking place March 1__st__. This letter will act as a portkey and will activate on the due date and time. Please be prepared to present a plan of action and any allies you have at this time that will help advance the Dark's goal in defeating the Light once and for all. _

_Until then,_

_Dark Allies _

He placed the letter in Tom's journal for safekeeping before heading for the bathroom. A sigh escaping his lips as he finally realized what he had done, pouring his heart out to a book, what was he thinking? Tom wasn't real, he was not really here and he could do nothing for him. Sadness filled him and he barely held back the tears…he didn't need to think these thoughts right then. He collapsed on his bed, tired, emotionally raw, and feeling utterly alone in the world.

Just then his door opened, making him cast his eyes at the interloper in his thoughts. Leon stood there looking for all the world a strong, ALIVE, young man and for once Harry couldn't find it within himself to send him away so he wouldn't see him weak. Leon came in silently shutting the door behind him and locking it.

He sat down on Harry's bed, gently cupping Harry's pale cheek in his hand while he asked, "What is it Harry?" Harry looked at him surprised somewhat about him using his true name but he brushed it aside. "Nothing is wrong" he replied in a dull monotone devoid of emotion. "Bullshit! You've been out of it since we've arrived," he forced Harry to met his eyes, "please…you can lean on me Harry, I can be there for you if you'd only let me!" Harry tore his eyes away, his eyes stung and he truly didn't fell like crying just then he just wanted to forget the world…forget the pain.

Turning he sat up and leaned ever so slightly into Leon's arms, who responded by hugging him fiercely into his chest like he would disappear if he let go. "Please…please don't say such things," came Harry's broken whisper as he clutched at Leon's shirt, "I just want to forget the world. I don't want to deal with it right now." He turned his face up so he could look Leon in the eyes for the first time voluntarily, "Make me forget," his eyes plead, "…please…" he whispered so utterly broken.

Leon did nothing for a full tense moment and then he captured Harry's lips in a fiery kiss that said all the things he couldn't say to the emerald-eyed beauty. Harry kissed back hesitant, unsure but slowly with more conviction. Leon had known he loved Harry for the longest time but he hadn't wanted to frighten him away by making a move. And then he had foolishly kissed him that day during Cleo's party; something had changed then for him. Leon loved Harry with all that he was and yet inside he knew…Harry could never love him back.

Harry was a lonely, broken soul and totally unreachable. He wasn't the only one, he was almost positive that every one of his fellow elites loved Harry romantically in some way. Still they all knew, had known since that day during summer when Harry had revealed his scars that he was too deep in darkness to be reached by them. Leon loved Harry, desired him and so if he wanted to use him to forget for a minute about everything else in the world Leon would give that to him. It was the least he could do, so he held him tightly, he kissed him with all the love he had in him and pretended for that moment that Harry was his.

Any one of the others would have done the same in his position, because they all loved Harry knowing that he could never truly love them back. It hurt them to see him so alone, knowing they could do nothing to ease it and feeling to powerless. Slowly Leon eased Harry's jacket from his shoulders, distracting Harry with harsher kisses so he could slowly unbutton his loose shirt and soon it joined his jacket on the floor. He began to kiss down his neck, pausing briefly seeing the bite mark but moving on totally ignoring it.

Harry's jade eyes glazed and he didn't put up any protest as Leon pushed him down on the bed slowly kissing down his chest paying special attention to the scars he found there. Leon made his way slowly down Harry's sculpted chest, gently kissing along his abs and playfully tonguing his bellybutton before making his way back to his pulp bruised lips. Leon let his weight settle on Harry, arms encircling him in a tight hold and stopping only briefly to slip his jacket and shirt off. Slowly with deliberate gentleness he ground against Harry eliciting a small moan from the boy beneath him. He continued to kiss him, continued to pretend that Harry was his and for this moment letting himself believe he could gain his heart.

As Leon kissed Harry with increasing abandon leisurely flames started to lick up his arms, gradually his lips and tongue also caught aflame. However, the flames didn't hurt Harry just gave him a sense of warmth, comfort, and safety. It made Harry truly abandon all thought in his head and he threw himself into the sensations Leon was invoking in him. Fire danced along Leon's bare back as he ground into Harry, pouring all his love into the moment and hoping that this time he could actually help him. Harry cried out pulling back from Leon's kisses to breathe so Leon moved his attentions to the smooth expanse of his neck instead.

Harry had never felt anything like this before, it was like a consuming need to be owned, to give in to the complete abandon and find safety in his arms. It was like he wasn't Harry anymore, he wasn't Tristen either, he was something else entirely, an embodiment of desire and need. Yet, in the madness he could only think that he wished that the one kissing him, owning him, was Tom and not Leon. This time he couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes silently and he found he didn't even want to try. Leon didn't stop though just slowly kissed the tears from his eyes and leisurely kissing him, tongue slowly caressing his in desperation.

The tears made there wet trails down his face, his stone heart cracking while his thoughts whirled around his head and the blessed abandon left him cold. Harry didn't understand what he was feeling, this longing, this yearning, this despair, this warm but cold feeling when he thought of Tom. He didn't know much about love but Harry thought that if he could love he would have loved Tom. But…Tom was a book, a thing, he wasn't alive, he couldn't truly be with him like Harry wanted him to be. For someone who had thought his heart was dead it sure as hell felt like his heart was breaking. Leon had stopped kissing him, just holding him while he cried silent tears pulling the covers over the both of them.

Harry wished he had never stole that book from that shop, had never followed that blonde wizard to that alley so he would have never had to feel this hurt. Wait, as he thought back on it he knew that blonde wizard's name now but he hadn't then…hadn't then. He knew that wizard…Malfoy…it was Malfoy Sr. he had followed that day when he had gained Tom. As he thought about it his tears began to slow, and then stop. He knew Malfoy so it Tom was right and he did have a body out there somewhere then he COULD have him.

However, as he thought that he knew it wasn't true…because it would be HIS Tom, the one he had confessed everything to and the one who had become the closest thing he had to a best friend. No the Tom that lived and walked around wouldn't know him, wouldn't remember the nights he had spent in conversation with him…he wouldn't know him. It wouldn't be Tom, just some cheep replacement not the real thing, not the real Tom, and the sadness weighed him down like a heavy cloak.

Still, the thought was there…where was the living Tom Riddle? He had said he had gone to Hogwarts so maybe Harry could find out more about the living one here. Maybe he could find this living Tom and maybe he could get to know that Tom to see if he could invoke the same feeling as his Tom. Then again maybe he was just meant to be alone, he was going to die anyway had planned to even maybe it was better not to feel such things for someone if that was to be his end. As Harry gripped Leon, who responded by holding him tighter in his arms, he knew that feeling these things were hopeless and pointless. Dry eyed the jaded teen closed his eyes to sleep, willing his heart to be as ice as cold and unfeeling as it had been before Suzie…before everyone…back when nothing mattered but another day.

**A.N. okay…my hands went on strike because I refused to give them candy…^_^; hehe I was broke but I got some sugar and finally finished this chapter in one go! Yay for me! Lol so the song is by Vanessa Mae (of course) and is called I am Doun in case you wanted to give it a listen! I admit I'm a bit infatuated with that woman's playing she really does play beautifully! So next chapter should come out sooner than this one, hopefully, but I have something to ask you guys 'cause I'm stuck! Lol I truthfully have NO idea who Harry should go to the Yule Ball with so I am putting it to a vote here are your options: Alucard, Sarah or Leon. Please review! Lol It really does make my day to read your guys' thoughts! **


	14. Insanity's Company

**A.N.: Hey so I am so sorry it took so long, I got a major case of writer's block, I got stuck around the middle it was ridiculous! I think it's because I hadn't had candy in like forever, seriously, I think my fingers went on strike! So I broke down negotiations yesterday and ate so much sugar I couldn't see straight! It worked! Lol Though I think I may have gone a little crazy there for a bit so sorry if some parts don't make sense! I still don't have a beta so everything is really up in the air on errors! So forgive me my dear readers my grammar, spelling or anything else isn't perfect! Read and review! Also I put that question from last chapter up on my Poll so go to my profile if you haven't voted! **

**Chapter 14: Insanity's Company**

"Madness is like gravity… all it takes is… a little _**push**_."

-----------------------x----------------------------------

Madeline huffed as she practically ran down the hall hoping that Harry was still awake so she could give him his long overdue hugs. She was still angry that the guild and the Ministry wasn't giving her any time to breathe to herself let alone spend time with her son. The guild had her making potions every morning, due early enough that she was forced to wake early and the Ministry had hired her for tournament detail. Between making potions for the guild, and preparing the field where the first task will take place she had barely been able to eat.

When she made it to the rooms she made her way quietly to Harry's room hoping to catch him wake for once and if not then so she could check in on him in sleep. Madeline might have been busy the last few days but that didn't mean she didn't love her son enough to make sure he was all right. Most of the time she snuck in his room, kissed him on the forehead and spent a few moments just holding his hand before going to bed herself.

She opened his door, trying very hard to keep the door from creaking horribly and tip toed to Harry's bed intent on seeing his face at lest tonight. What she saw surprised her, and made her a little upset. There was Leon passed out and looking as satisfied as the cat that ate the canary, topless, holding HER little BOY like it was an every day occurrence. Oh Merlin she hoped it wasn't because she was not at all ready for her baby to have boyfriends or girlfriends for that matter!

Still, Harry looked peaceful snuggled up on Leon's chest with the bigger boy's arms encircling him securely and she just didn't have the heart to hex the kid for being there. Smiling a little sadly she softly walked up to the bed, silently pulling the blankets up to cover them more and brushing the hair from his forehead to kiss him gently there. Her boy was growing up, indeed he had grown up long before she had called him son but it didn't make her any less sad to acknowledge it.

Madeline truly loved Harry like she had given birth to him herself, and even if she knew one day she would have to let him go it hit her just as hard as any parent. She quietly made her way back to her own room silently shutting the door behind her and letting out a melancholy sigh. Sometimes she wondered if being an Silver minted Master was really worth the extra money since it took her away from Harry so often. However, she had to remember she did what she had to so she could provide the life Harry deserved and not the one she had suffered.

Nonetheless Madeline decided that in the next two years after she had enough of a nest egg going she would get herself demoted to a Crimson minted Master so she could spend her time with Harry. Thinking about her jobs reminded her that she needed to tell Harry what the first Task would involve so he could be prepared to face it. She decided that the guild's potions could wait tomorrow morning, never mind the trouble it would cause, because she wanted to spend time with her son.

She woke up the next morning before the sun had risen and used the extra time to get ready for the day. The uniform was washed and set aside for her; she quickly braided her hair with an easy spell and made her way to Harry's room. She made it in time to see Leon sneaking out looking very guilty, she did her best to put on her disapproving mother glare and it seemed to work, as he looked even more ashamed after that. Though she had the decency to wait until he had slunk into his room before letting the satisfied smirk cross her face.

Heaving a sigh she knocked softly on the room and waited for the soft, 'Enter', before proceeding into Harry's room. He looked like he had just finished getting dressed and he looked as serene as ever. But Madeline knew better, the look in his eyes said it all, he was greatly distressed about something and he just looked so sad. Immediately she enveloped him into a warm hug, stroking his messy hair and kissing him softly on his temple.

When she pulled away she saw the effect that had on him, his eyes were somewhat glassy like he was holding back tears and that worried her as Harry NEVER cried. Madeline didn't say a word though; instead she shut the door and coaxed him to sit on the bed. She got a brush from his trunk, sat behind him and began to tenderly brush his hair simply waiting for him to open up to her. "My _**mother**_," he spit it out like poison, "ran into me yesterday." The only outward reaction she showed was the tightening hold on the brush handle but she still continued to brush his hair soothingly. "Oh, honey I'm so sorry I wasn't here. The guild has me up in knots trying to fill their orders and I have hardly had time to breathe." She gripped his shoulder with her free hand to show her support.

"But, love, you knew they were going to be here." She rubbed up and down his arm to take the bite out of her words. Harry sighed, "Yes, and I thought I had been prepared to face them. But seeing her yesterday, speaking with her, looking at her…I couldn't handle it." He sounded so lost it broke her heart and she decided to let the whole 'letting another boy sleep in your bed with you' issue go. "You know, it's her fault. It was HER filthy muggle relatives that I was placed with, stupid mudblood whore." He grumbled almost as an afterthought. Madeline just smiled sadly at that, she knew Harry didn't have a prejudice against Muggle born wizards/witches and it was just his opinion of his Mother. Still, Madeline also knew she would have to talk to him later about saying such words so openly because one never knew who you can offend using such language.

"I know baby, I know. Just remember next time to keep a better hold on yourself," she eyed the various broken items scattered around the room and wondered how she had missed it last night…she must be more tired than she had supposed. "Yes, you are right mom," He said in resignation knowing that it was true, he could not show such weakness as a leader. Nonetheless, having his mom here brushing his hair, giving him a hug and telling him to regain control over himself was just what he had needed today. Harry even decided to forgive her for not showing up the last two days because he knew how much work she did for the guild nowadays.

"I've missed you," she said kindly while she began to braid his hair, "there is something else I needed to tell you about today. It's the reason I decided to tell the guild to screw themselves today." She chuckled lightly lightening the mood and making Harry smirk briefly at her wording. Just then Tink came twinkling in, obviously upset with him, and Grace slid in hissing under the door. Both of his companions were obviously offended that they had been sent away but Harry managed to appease them somewhat. In the end Tink snuggled into his newly braided hair for a nap and Grace snaked her way around his middle deciding that a nap sounded good then too.

When that was settled he faced his mother, whose eyes were shining with mirth and was smiling gently at him. He resisted the urge to blush in embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry 'bout them, now what was it you were saying before we were so rudely interrupted." Tink pulled on his hair and he smiled inside at her attitude, it seemed he wasn't fully forgiven yet. "Oh yes, it has to do with your first task. I've been contracted with the Ministry to work the field and so I've managed to find out what your facing…"

---------------------------x-------------------------

If there was one thing Tom Riddle wished for it was to have a body of his own, if only for the fact that he didn't like remaining just a state of consciousness. Trapped in this dairy he could do nothing, at least not physically and damn there were times he wanted a body so bad he could taste it. He knew something was wrong the moment he felt Tristen's aura shift and how he wished he were near him then.

It had come as a shock to find out that the ambitious, powerful; beautiful Tristen was the one person that was supposed to be his archenemy. He had to admit he had found more than a little amusement in that fact, oh, how Dumbledore had managed to turn such a weapon on himself he would never understand. If it had been him in his place he would have kept Tristen close, kept him loyal, kept him safe and most of all trained. Dumbledore had really sabotaged himself this time and Tom was not above reveling in it.

He hated Dumbledore, almost as much as he had hated his family and it was more than a little satisfying to know that the one person that could have been used as a symbol for the Light was campaigning for the Dark. That brought him to another disturbing discovery he had made about Tristen, or Harry. Harry had discover his magic early, just like him, he hated his family, just like him, he hated muggles with the same fiery passion, he was amassing a group of 'marked' followers, he had changed his name also. Really the parallels between them were too close to ignore, or write off as nothing.

Tom had suspected from the beginning, but it hadn't made sense at the time so he had written it off as impossible. Yet, here he was again faced with this new information and he couldn't ignore it any longer. Harry Potter, Tristen Winter, whoever he decided to go by was a Horcrux just like himself. Except instead of being housed in a Merlin-forsaken book a piece of his SOUL was housed in a very cunning young man and Tom couldn't help but wonder how that had come to pass.

As far as he knew he had never had plans to create a human-Horcrux because it was too risky, not to mention he could never trust someone enough to carry a part of himself. How had it happened? It must have been that night when he had gone to kill Harry as a child and was vanquished instead. HOW? How had Harry survived the Killing curse? These were questions he needed answers to and more importantly he needed to get in contact with his other self soon.

Harry being a Horcrux explained a lot, his similar drive, his ambition, his hatred, even why he had felt the NEED to pick up his dairy in the first place. Now all Tom had to decide was if he wanted Harry around any longer or if he felt that he needed to be disposed of…the question made him feel strangely empty. No, Harry was HIS and Tom had always known this…perhaps this explained his obsession with the boy.

No, Harry had to be kept for no other reason than that the boy had become to valuable to lose on a whim. Besides Harry was firmly on the side of the Dark, nothing and no one would change that. Despite it all, when Harry had confessed to him in his rage what he had felt about his mother…it had hit too close to home. It had affected him more than he had thought it would and maybe he had become soft around the boy. Still, there was no going back, Harry would remain his, would forever be his and there was no changing that either.

It brought him to another issue, should he tell Harry of his other self? Should he disclose the fact that he was in fact the Dark Lord Voldemort or should he allow him to find it out on his own? Choices. Choices. In the end he decided that depriving Harry the chance to discover it on his own was not a good idea. He would be forthcoming with hints and clues; however, it would have to be Harry himself that had to discover the truth. This way there would be no room for doubt.

Tom tried to convince himself that it wasn't because he was hesitant to disclose such a thing in case Harry refused to believe him. Or worse, if Harry was upset enough to stop talking to him he did not know what he would do. As much as he had tried to prevent it from happening the boy had become precious to him in a way that no other before him had ever achieved. He hadn't even technically seen the boy yet, and yet he was obsessed.

He had had the opportunity to regain his body by using the boy, taking the boy's power, life, and perhaps his soul. Yet when given the choice he had chosen to wait and use another Horcrux to regain his corporal form. He had, somewhere along the way of getting to know the boy, he had lost the drive to use him for his own gain. Instead there was nothing he wanted more than to hold him, to whisper in his ear that he was not alone, to tell him of his own family and most of all he wanted to make Harry his own.

Harry had been his; from that night when he had lost his form to this very moment Harry had always been his to have and his to hold. Tom wondered if it was fate that had brought them together because if ever there was a time he believed in such a thing, now, was that time. Harry was fated for him just as he was fated for Harry. The boy literally had a piece of him with him most of his life, and Tom couldn't wait for the time when Harry would finally be fully his to have, his to own, and his to hold.

----------------------x---------------------

Suzie pouted at her big brother while eating her breakfast as he pretended to eat his own, and waited for him to ask what was bothering her. Really, she wasn't that upset that he had run off on his own yesterday but she was a little disappointed she hadn't gotten the chance to introduce him to her little group. Finally he cast his eyes upon her, she made a show of pouting more and added the hurt puppy look for good measure.

She nearly giggled when she saw how much he wanted to sigh in his eyes but he wouldn't as it would ruin his 'nothing can disturb me I'm too serene' look. "What troubles you?" he asked in his soft gentle voice and she worked up some crocodile tears to help her act. "You ran off yesterday without meeting my friends like you said you would…" she added the appropriate hurt tones to her little comment while turning up the kicked puppy look. Suzie could almost see him hold back the flinch and the startled expression from coming forth.

"I apologize I had forgotten," he said and she believed him of course as her big brother would never lie to her. She abandoned the hurt look to adopt her classic sunny smile and this time she did giggle as his surprise at her quick transition shone in his eyes. "It's alright I forgave you yesterday, but now you have to **promise** that you'll meet them after breakfast." She said refusing to take any chances of a repeat of yesterday. Her brother kept his promises, if he promised her he would not break his word and she would know it was going to happen.

Suzie studied his face closely, and saw the slight upturn of his lips that was his 'smile'. She practically beamed in response. "I promise," he said amusement coloring his tone, if one knew how to listen. Suzie nodded and went back to eating paying no mind to the many people who were staring at her. She had noticed that the main people that surrounded her brother most of the time had taken to watching her, as if they were trying to dissect her with their eyes.

It amused her to no end because they obviously wanted to ask her all sorts of questions but they wouldn't for fear of offending Harry. She knew they wanted to know how she manages to get Harry to relax so much around her, how she got him to be so responsive and how, most importantly, she got him to open up even the tiniest bit. The truth she was very sad to admit had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with time.

When she had come into Harry's life it had been before them, before the wizarding world and most vitally before he had discovered his parent's treachery. Suzie firmly believed her brother had taken care of her, sheltered her even, at the orphanage because he saw himself in her. No, it was more that he saw everything he couldn't see in himself in her and so he wanted her around. There was something he wanted to protect by protecting her; maybe it was his forsaken innocence or the brighter side of life she did not know.

Suzie had been a part of Harry's life before he had closed himself off to the world, and as she looked to the Teacher's table she knew exactly who was to blame. In the beginning when Harry had first taken her under his wing he had been a bit cold and maybe a little distant. However, as time wore on he had opened up to her, allowing contact between them, speaking kind words, and generally he had been her rock. All that had changed that day he had found that portal into the Magical World and discovered how deeply his family had betrayed him.

She knew that wherever he had been before the orphanage had been horrible and he had been all alone. He got colder, more distant and more jaded after he found out his parents were still alive. It was a deep betrayal, no matter what excuses they had and something Harry never had gotten over. They had been his parents, no matter the circumstances as his parents they should have searched for him if he had been lost.

It was why she would never even consider befriending Clark Potter, because as his little brother Clark also fell under the betrayer title. No to mention the fact that his creepy stalker ways disturbed her on a whole other level that she didn't even want to think about. Still as she grabbed her brother's hand to lead him to her group's meeting place she couldn't help but thank whatever it was that had made her so lucky. Had she been just a little later in trying to get to know him she would not be as close to him as she was now.

The thought made her grip his hand tighter and she felt comforted when she felt him squeeze back. Suzie was nervous, she wanted to impress her brother and she didn't know what she would do if he wasn't happy with her choices. They made it to the unused classroom on the fourth floor easily enough, and there they were waiting, her group, her friends and hopefully her brother's followers soon. Draco was sitting coolly at the head of the pack, the Twins looked like they were scheming again in the back, Hermoine was reading, Ginny and Luna were playing chest. Hannah and Suzan were gossiping over a magazine, even Neville had shown up today though he was sitting quietly in the corner.

She got their attention and began to introduce them to her big brother. "Brother, theses are Draco Malfoy, Hermoine Granger, Luna Lovegood, Hannah Abbot, Suzan Bones, Neville Longbottom, George, Fred, and Ginny Weasley." She said while pointing them all out in turn. "Pleased to meet you," He said softly nodding his head in acknowledgement. Suzie smiled knowing that was the most she was going to get from him I front of everyone else. She tugged him to 'her' corner of their little room hoping to ask him his honest opinion while her brother's group introduced themselves to her own.

"So, what do you think?" she asked while nibbling on her bottom lip nervously. Harry just patted her on her head, gentle as always and sat down with grace. "You have done well little sister," he said simply a bit distracted by her list of allies. The Malfoy would be useful, the Bones could prove invaluable and the others had potential. Not Noctiluca potential, but more than he saw in the rest of the dying Hogwarts' student roster. He resisted the urge to smirk, this could work well for him, and he would need some time to plan out everything soon. Yes, he had plans for his little sister's group already but they would have to wait for now. After all, he had a Task to prepare for and thanks to his Mother he was confident that this tournament would be only too easy for him.

---------------------x-------------------

For the next week Harry spent most of his time juggling attending the inferior classes, spending time with Suzie, preparing for his upcoming task and trying to find the Real Tom Riddle. His search wasn't going well though because he had to do it when he was alone, which was rarely. He didn't want anyone to know about Tom, partly because it made Tom his in a way that no one else could be. No one knew he talked to Tom every night, no one else knew literally everything there was to know about him (well basically) and no one else understood him the way Tom dd.

Tom had told him a bit about himself, their backgrounds were eerily similar, and Harry knew that if his Tom were real he would stand within the darkness beside him. A part of him would never forget the look on his elites' faces when he had hurt that muggle and he knew they could never understand. They could see his scars; they could try to feel his pain but the darkness that dwelled within him frightened them.

Harry knew that no one, not even his beautiful mother, could truly understand why it was that he needed to hurt them…he needed it. Every scream from their throat was one that he couldn't allow for himself, and every time he hurt them it was like he was striking back at his tormentors from long ago. He didn't see their true faces, when he hurt them he saw the Dursleys, he saw his birth parents and he saw those people who had taunted him.

His quest to find out if a Real Tom existed had made him fully realize just how lonely he was standing in the darkness alone and unsheltered. Harry knew he would never find his way into the light, the mere thought was ludicrous, but he didn't want to stand alone any longer. Tom understood him so well because he was already dwelling in the darkness…Harry just hadn't found him yet. Tom had even been here longer than he had, he would not look away when he saw the True him and he would not gaze at him with those judging eyes when he made someone scream for him.

Tom would be his, and his alone. He refused to share, even if he wanted help finding him Harry would sooner cut out his heart than show someone Tom. Still, that put in a bind, as he did not have as much time as he wanted to look for the Real Tom and Tom wasn't helping him any either. He gave him hints, subtle clues but no definite answers when he asked. It was frustrating, no doubt, but it was also stimulating having such a challenge occupying his spare time.

The full moon was coming up in four days, the first of the two this month and Harry was anticipating spending some time with the transformed Logan. As an uncontrolled werewolf Logan was a lot more entertaining than when he had full grips on his mind when transforming on will. He was also wished that the end of the month would come sooner as he wanted to get the first task out of the way. Not to mention that after the first task he finally would get a reprieve from the boringly easy Hogwarts curriculum, as it would be Noctiluca's turn to 'teach'.

The Headmistress already addressed that issue at the start, she would be teaching along with the upper years some first year knowledge along with a little of the second year knowledge. They didn't want to give too much away even if the were withdrawing from the shadows showing the full extent of their knowledge would be dangerous. She didn't want to frighten them too much as even though the Noctiluca Alum were exceedingly powerful they were outnumbered. Should the entirety of the wizarding world begin to see them as a threat they would not hesitate to swarm like ants to take them down.

No they would show some impressive things, but it would be nowhere near the full extent of their skills. The next four days seemed to drag on, filled mostly with avoiding his 'family', catching up with Madeline (though he was sure she was hiding something from him), and spending time with his collective groups. Suzie was as full, bright and full of life as ever, inspiring him in her own unique ways. She was one of his favored models for his paintings now and when he had the time he was painting often in his room.

Painting everything from Suzie, to his elites, to Tinkerbell, to his mom (Madeline), and even the castle itself helped Harry deal with the stress of being here. It helped him deal when he couldn't express himself in words sufficiently to Tom and t kept him from breaking down again. Finally the night of the full moon was upon them, Harry and Logan went into the forest just before sunset in preparation for the night to come.

As usual Logan had refrained from wearing clothes, it would have been a waste, and so when the full moon rose on the horizon he body was able to transform freely. No matter how many times Harry had watched it he knew he would never get bored watching Logan transition from man to beast. The sight was magnificent, his already large body rippling and expanding outwards. Fir, of the purest white sprouting out to cover his entire body and his face elongating to form his snout filled with sharp teeth. The tail came next, followed by the snapping of bones as his legs and feet changed to more wolf-like quality. When he was fully transformed form young man to young wolf his regal head bowed back and his throat rippled as a mighty howl rent the air.

When Logan turned to him growling Harry smiled, it was a more a bearing of teeth, and answered back with a playful growl of his own. The big white wolf gracefully trotted over to where Harry was standing rubbing his back on him roughly nearly knocking the boy over. Harry was amused, Logan was always more physical and affectionate when he was partly out of his mind during the full moon. Logan growled playfully again, nipping a little his coattails before lopping away and barking as he went.

Harry smirked and walked leisurely after him, taking his time to annoy the wolf. Logan grunted as he ran behind him in frustration and began to nudge him with his cold black nose in an effort to speed him along. Finally Harry let his amusement show a bit, he gave a shout and began to run swiftly weaving his way through the forest with Logan hot on his heels. He could hear Logan as he panted excitedly and every so often he would bark or growl at him. Harry didn't know why he enjoyed this game so much, this pretend chase of hunter and prey.

This was always what they did first, Harry would run becoming the 'prey' and Logan would give chase becoming the 'hunter'. He was perfectly safe doing this but had anyone else tried this they would soon find themselves on the receiving end of a very ferocious bite. Harry gave another well-practiced shout when Logan nipped at his heals and he sped up running toward the walloping willow. He broke through the trees just in time, as the next moment he felt the impact of something rather large tackling him to the ground.

The air temporary whooshed out of his lungs and he allowed himself to be pinned to the ground. Harry felt Logan's cold nose nuzzling his neck and he turned over obligingly to bare it to him along with his stomach. Logan barked excitedly and bringing his face close to his in a coyly menacing fashion.

------------------x------------------

James looked at the setting sun excitedly and barely held back from running full out towards the willow. Sirius and Remus were laughing good-naturedly though Remus' laughter sounded a little strained. James didn't take any notice of it though to wrapped up in the anticipation of the night to come. Transforming into Prongs was always freeing, and running around herding Remus was entertaining in an ironic way. So when they reached the willow, finally, James was the first to go 'down the rabbit hole' so to speak.

He needed this now more than ever; it would be a relief to finally get out of the castle and the stress that came with it. Lily had been bugging him constantly as they combed the seemingly endless faces of boys to try to find their Harry. James didn't really know what to think about that, every face he looked at just seemed to be another faceless drone and not his missing son. He never showed it, but James was despairing more every day about ever finding their boy.

Add that to the tournament and trying to help Sirius win over the ever-elusive Madeline the entire thing was very slowly driving him insane. A night free of all that, it would be a mush-needed vacation from his life even if it was only for a couple of hours. They made it to the shack unimpeded and Remus drained his potion swiftly a visible grimace on his face as he did so. Sometimes James almost swore Snivellous made it that gross on purpose just to get to them, and this belief often caused the rash of pranks attempted on said man. Though over the last few years it had gotten harder and harder to make said pranks a success as the victim had developed an almost six-sense when t came to avoiding them.

Eagerly James transformed into Prongs and watched as Sirius soon joined him as Padfoot, both impatiently waited for the sun to finish its descent. The moon rose and they watched in sympathy as their friend screamed in pain as he transformed from man to wolf. It didn't take long for those screams to turn into howls of pain, however, they soon began to realize with dawning horror mooney wasn't the only one howling.

The blood drained from their faces as Mooney, usually very controlled due to the potion, lost a bit of control and started to snarl at the window. It was clear to them that this other werewolf had caused this, and as Mooney went barreling out of the house to the tunnel they went after him. Prongs was the fastest and he overcame Mooney easily enough still he knew he needed to get out of the tunnel in order to control the slightly crazed wolf.

He leapt out of the hole his body barely thrashing its way through and using his momentum he managed to get past the tree unharmed. Prongs was fully prepared to herd his friend back to the shack, even if he had to harm him some to do so but he was not prepared for the sight that greeted him when he made it past the willow. A boy came barreling out of the forest and not a second later was tackled to the ground by the biggest wolf he had ever laid eyes on.

Prongs had frozen then, uncomprehending as the giant stunningly white wolf growled menacingly to this tiny (in comparison) boy. By the time he had gotten his wits about him to start to run to the boy's defense he knew it would be to late because his was not a wolf, it was a Werewolf. He had been so stunned by its size; its regal bearing and its feral appearance to fully comprehend what it was…by then it was too late.

Mooney looked like a cub next to this Titan and it was no wonder Prongs had not connected the dots…he had gotten so used to his friend's rather small form. Still, as he ran for all he was worth across the clearing he knew he would not make it in time to stop this monster from biting that small boy beneath him. He felt so guilty then, so guilty that he had froze when he showed have acted like a true Gryffindor that as he pushed himself to the limit he swore he'd help the boy deal with the consequences of his inaction.

The boy would be cursed as a werewolf from the moment those teeth sunk into his flesh and James knew that his life would be forever changed. Even as the wolf's head drew nearer to the boy's pale face James swore he would help him make it better, and he even had a half-formed plan to have Mooney mentor him in the back of his mind. However, just as he got close enough to make out the boy's features and the wolf's menacing expression, the most stunning event occurred. The boy smirked slightly and the wolf barked out what sounded very much like Padfoot's laugh before suddenly licking said boy's face. Like. A. Bloody. House. Dog.

The action stunned him so much he was forced into inactivity at the sight and belatedly he realized so were his two companions whom stopped right behind him. The boy hadn't seemed to notice them yet and he reached up wrapping his arms around the massive neck of the wolf. Which in turn reared up onto its hind legs like they had seen Mooney do a hundred times before and set the boy on his feet once more. The move was so fluid and made with such ease it left no doubt that the two had done so many times before.

The boy still hadn't taken notice of them, and he began to stroke to monster wolf's head…so casually it was somewhat frightening. Prongs even began to question if this really was a werewolf and not some freakish large wolf-dog-thing. Then the wind picked up, carrying their scent, the massive monster stiffed, faced them, and snarled so fiercely they all took steps back. The expression on the wolf's face was feral, untamed, aggressive and so monstrous that they no longer had any doubts…this was no ordinary wolf but a monster.

The white beast growled as he gracefully placed himself between them and the boy blocking him from view. Somewhere in Prong's shocked addled mind he realized it was trying to protect him from THEM of all people! He finally got his bearings when Padfoot and Mooney flanked his shoulders in support, preparing for a fight. They all tensed, Padfoot smaller grim form had his back legs locked ready to spring, Mooney's shoulders were squared as if bracing for impact and his own neck was tense ready to rear forward. The large regal wolf had his head arced back and he watched them with weary suspicion as if they all would charge him at any moment.

The very air was so thick with the coming conflict it was getting steadily harder to breathe, still no one dared make the first move. Suddenly, it was as if everything had stilled, tension broke and they were left dazed wondering what exactly happened as they had all three been fully prepared to fight. They weren't left wondering for long as the boy Prongs had gotten a glimpse of earlier strolled gracefully around his wolf companion, one hand on its impressive flank while the other arm hung loosely at his side.

He stopped just in front of his wolf facing them and they all got their first good look at the strange boy. He was still very small next to the wolf's massive frame but there was something in the air about him that made it seem like he was bigger in their eyes. (They would later discover it was his subtle aura of magic that always seemed to permeate from him that had done so.) He was pale, so pale in fact silently wonder if he had some vampiric blood in him, his hair in contrast was so dark it was as it the very darkness of the night was spilling around his shoulders. He was a very beautiful boy, almost feminine in appearance, far to attractive to be handsome in any sense.

However, it was his eyes that immediately captured and held their attention, they were so deeply green it was almost like they glowed in the darkness that surrounded them. Sirius recognized him first and he regretted ever following the strange boy that day. Then he wouldn't have known what he knew, wouldn't have the weight of it pressing down on him now and then he wouldn't feel so very afraid. Sirius had never been a coward, never the first one to back away from a fight but staring into that boy's eyes it felt like he could see his death before it happened.

He dared not say a word, dared not even breathe, and vainly he tried to bolster some of his courage back so he could help his friends should there be a need. But still, he couldn't help wondering who this kid really was and if he ever faced him in any confrontation some part of him wondered if he could win. This boy was associated with a powerful Vampire, a Titan of a Werewolf and form his magical display in the forest before was anything to go by the boy was powerful in his own right too.

His two companions didn't notice his growing nervousness as they stared transfixed on the mysterious and his giant companion. The boy stared all three of them down, eyes measuring and it felt as if he was looking into their very souls. His voice was soft, gentle, but it had an edge to it, "Logan let us leave." He stated simply enough turning his back on them as if they were no more than lowly dirt in which he had to trend upon. They stood frozen in place unable to move until the boy and the stark white form of the wolf could no longer be seen.

----------------------------x------------------------

What they didn't know, what no one could have known was how much that meeting had cost Harry. How hard it had been for him to turn his back and walk away from what surely would have been a bloody fight. He had felt the stag's magic, and he had recognized it immediately for it was someone he had hated for so long he could taste it. In his time at the castle he had very few run-in with his so called family, most had been from a distance and around people so he had better control over his temper.

However, he had been close enough to all three of them to know their Magical signature anywhere. Though he hid it well from his followers his hatred for his 'family' ran so deep and his need for revenge was so high he was quickly becoming obsessed. He spent a lot of his time fantasizing about the various ways he could kill and/or maim them, which in turn had lead him to memorizing their magical signatures. Harry wanted to know where they were during the day so that he didn't run into any of them in a hallway alone…he wasn't too sure he could control himself if he did.

The need in him coiled in his stomach making him ache throughout his entire body and even as he joined Logan in their play it didn't go away. The darkness in him was rising; it was gnawing at his control and chipping through his carefully built serene mask revealing the monster within, ever so slowly. Harry knew he would need to vent some of his madness soon, otherwise he didn't know what he could end up doing. Something totally foolish might happen and he might just find that 'brother' of his and skin him alive, in front of his parents, in front of his parents in the Great Hall. Now that wouldn't be good for his plans. Not. At. All.

He would have to content himself with fantasies for now and perhaps he would set up his tent in the forest somewhere so he could play with his 'toys'. After all now that he realized he wouldn't be able to hold the darkness back until summer perhaps it would be prudent to continue his experiments on those disgusting Muggles. He was so close to cracking the formula, to unlocking some of the secrets needed that maybe he could use this time to get further along. The sooner it was done the better after all.

The next few weeks seemed to pass by in a clouded daze for Harry, he had started to tune out the 'lessons' completely and spent most of his time in class discretely talking to Tom. Before he knew it the first Task was set to take the next day and he decided to spend the day searching for Tom. As a champion he had gotten this day off to prepare for tomorrow so he decided since he could not find a trace of Tom in the library so far he would begin to search the other parts of the school. Harry was wondering through the halls when he felt the distinct signature of Lily Potter heading his way.

Now, he knew he would never have the self-control to stop himself from hurting this time so he ducked into the first room he could find and locked the door. He hated that he was hiding from her but he had no choice if he wanted to grand revenge he had planned for them to come to fruition. A cheap few hours of torturing and killing one Lily Potter would not satisfy him after all. So though he would not regret killing her, he would regret not be able to take his time and enjoy the experience. When he felt her pass by he was both relieved and slightly disappointed.

Harry decided to distract himself from his thought before it got too dangerous for him and set about studying the room he was currently locked in. It seemed like every wall was lined with trophies of all sort and for some reason he began to read off the names on the walls. It was like the pull he had felt to take the Dairy but weaker, so with curiosity lighting up his eyes he scanned the room looking for whatever his instincts were telling him to find. It didn't take him long to find it, the sight almost stopped his heart and with a shaking hand Harry reached out to touch the trophy of one, Tom Riddle.

This was the proof he had been looking for, he stroked the smooth metal, this was a testament to the fact that Tom…his Tom…had been real, had been ALIVE once. Tom was out there somewhere, waiting in the dark inky abyss for him to join him and without his conscious notice gentle tears rolled down his face. He had been here, he had walked these halls, he had lived in this castle, slept, ate, learned, and now Harry was in the same castle Tom had once been. It was enough to make his heart ach for him; his withered, broken, jaded heart ached for Tom. He would have laughed at the sentiment had he not been crying and so against the sound of laughter.

A small smile lit his face as he pulled the Dairy from his breast pocket to place it next to the trophy so he could stare at them together. They were what connected him to Tom, they were the things that showed him Tom had once been here, and they would help him on his quest to find him. It was with a certain melancholy did Harry place the dairy back in his pocket and left the trophy room, and Tom's Plaque behind him. Tomorrow would be a trying day so he would spend the night smartly, eating light and going to bed early. After all he was confidant not arrogant, there was a chance he could lose, a small chance but a chance nonetheless.

--------------------------x----------------------

It was the morning of the first Task and the halls practically buzzed with excitement. Everyone fluttered about in nervous energy, many questions haunting their minds while they went through their morning routines and making their tempers shorter than usual. Some wondered if THE Harry Potter would actually show up for it after having been absent for so many years. Others wondered if their school would win, some had a bored confidence about them (Noctiluca) knowing there was no way their overly harsh school would not fail.

Harry walked to the meeting place somewhat anticipating the challenge that the Task would present, after spending a month of trying stupidity it would be nice to actually put an effort into something. He had gotten so used to being challenged every day at school that Hogwarts own lad back style grated his nerves. It didn't take too long to get to the Arena that was set up across from the lake but to Harry time couldn't seem to go fast enough.

The Champions' tent was set up off to the side and little ways away from the stands so they could have their privacy. The Task would be starting in a few moments so Harry took the time to study his opponents and tried to gauge their reactions to things. The stadium that had been set up was a little impressive, it reminded Harry vaguely of a the domed Muggle one Madeline and him had seen a few times during their travels. Their tent was positioned right at one of the entrances so he could see how pitch-black dark it was in the arena.

Thanks to Madeline he knew what he was facing, what the objective was, and how the stadium itself was set up. Truly it paid to have a mother that was leased by the guild to help the Ministry set this competition up. The Arena reminded him of a Muggle interrogation room almost, the stands were built separate from the stadium but connected through an enchanted wall. The wall would protect the spectators, allowing them to see the action but not be accidentally a part of it (Madeline suggestion). A dome that was spherical shaped and the terrain had been magically changed so that the creatures would have an advantage enclosed in it.

The other champions were somewhat nervous, the skinny red headed boy especially but Harry could tell from their expressions that they were prepared. Somehow they also knew what they would be up against, and it made Harry wonder if part of the tournament was really about who could cheat while not getting caught. Still it was to be expected after all how were they supposed to prepare for a task they knew nothing about? Cheating while not being caught could be some sort of test to see if they were cunning enough for this, something that played a part historically in the first Task.

The three Tasks of the Tri-wizard tournament were blatantly obvious if one read up on the history behind them. The first Task tested cunning, courage, and resourcefulness. The second Task tested your will, and your mindfulness of your surroundings. The third Task tested your strength, your magic, and your endurance. All these things were crucial when fighting in a war, which was what the tournament had been for in the first place. The Tri-wizard Tournament didn't start out as a 'good-will' spreading farce it was made out to be nowadays.

No, it was made it be a replacement of war back when the Wizarding communities had had enough of the bloodshed. It was a way to pit countries against each other without the battlefields riddled with bodies. Usually it was the country that won the tournament that held the most influence until the next tournament was fought. After all, if your champion is that strong who wants to fight a possible army of the same wizards? Still that had been forgotten somewhere along the line and what once had been a show a strength now was just a frivolous show of entertainment.

Inwardly Harry sneered at the thought, the Wizarding world had gotten too peaceful for his tastes. That a tournament that was meant to be a show a might had turned into a spectator SPORT was proof enough about how far they had fallen. Still he pushed this all aside when the judges entered, Dumbledore carrying a small purple silk bag and he waited patiently for the Task to begin.

Lazily he listened as a jittery man named Bagman stated the rules while he frantically searched the tent for someone with his eyes. Most people brushed this off but Harry had to wonder whom it was he was searching so desperately for in a moderately small tent. One by one the Champions stepped forward to reach into the bag that would decide their fates of this tournament. Kairi stepped up first all full of elegant grace and arrogance, noise slightly tilted in the air in a show of superiority. Harry thought she looked ridiculous.

She reached in with a dainty looking hand and there struggling futilely against her hold was an enchanted figurine of a mountain troll. The troll looked as ugly and as stupid as Madeline had described to him, the figurine had the number two on it clearly displayed. Next was the nervous looking red head, but the way he moved showed the opposite making Harry narrow his eyes. The red head was gangly looking, but he was cunning enough. He reached in and pulled out his own figurine in his slightly trembling hand.

This one was a vicious looking Hobgoblin and painted on its putrid green 'skin' was the number one. Krum went next, lumbering forward and looking for the entire world like he was the greatest idiot. Harry could see past this guise also and just like the red haired one this was putting up a front. Their wish to be underestimated and written off clear as day to him, it had the opposite effect instead. He reached in with a meaty hand and pulled out his own figurine, which struggled valiantly in his hand before it resigned to its fate.

It was a Troglodyte; the lizard like creature had a very nasty expression on its face and repeatedly tried to bite Krum's hand. An effort that proved to be in vain as Krum showed he was quite skilled at evading its attempts and the number three was painted crudely on the thing's tail. It would seem he would be the last and with a smooth movement Harry pulled out his own figurine from the bag.

It was the hardest opponent, a Black Orc, it had the number four painted on its bare chest and it struggled more than the others before it. There was a collective intake of breath, it was no secret he was the youngest of the champions and thus it seemed his fate held the most peril. However, Harry did not see it that way and he pitied the others their schooling if they thought that a few black Orcs would be able to harm him. He smirked inwardly at the surprise that awaited the champions in that dark arena.

For he knew it was dark for a reason, just not the one they might have guessed. While it was true that all these creatures were very adept at hunting in the dark that was not the reason the judges sought to 'blind' them. No, the reason was simple they did not wish for them to see how MANY of them there were. Harry was not prone to displaying emotion where others could easily see but he still couldn't stop the small, satisfied smile that flashed across his face. It was there for less than a millisecond but a pair of constantly twinkling blue eyes managed to see it. Needless to say one Albus Dumbledore was a bit disturbed by it and the young boy that so many mysteries surrounded.

Waiting was a trying game; he hated to wait there when he finally had a challenge so close at hand. It filled him with a sort of jittery energy and made him more than a little impatient to have his turn. The Weasley left the tent first and within the first few minutes the sounds of the battle reached them along with the audience's response. It grated on his nerves, more than he had expected it too and so he decided it would be best for him to distract himself.

He brought out his violin discreetly, set his black reed down and began to stroke the smooth wood along the frame. The stark white violin stood out in the darkness of the tent and it gained the other champions' attentions. The judges had left with the Weasley to the judges' box and so it was only the three of them left along with a security person to make sure they didn't do anything to one another. Harry paid them no mind however, and set his entire concentration on relaxing his body so he was ready when his time came.

He plucked the reed from his seat and placed the violin gently beneath his chin, silently contemplating which song was best suited for this situation. He began to play; the song reflected his jittery energy perfectly and was fast pace enough that his hands seemed to be a blur. Curiously his playing almost fitted perfectly with the sounds of the fight outside their tent without meaning to. As he spent his wound-up energy he noticed that while his playing relaxed him by releasing that tightly wound feeling it had the opposite effect on his companion.

Harry noticed that the more he played the more the others seemed to tense impatiently as if they were taking up the energy he was releasing into the room. It made him smirk and he closed his eyes getting more into the song paying less attention to the happenings around him. The song ended abruptly, leaving everyone but him so tightly wound that Harry suspected the slightest move would break them.

He soon took pity on them as a loud crash sounded outside making every one of them jump some feet into the air. If they kept up this tenseness then they would most definitely make many mistakes when the time came for them to enter the Arena. Now, as much as he would like to win Harry also wanted a good challenge out of this competition. If the other champions preformed badly because of this he would most definitely be unsatisfied with his victory over them. So, in his now relaxed state he began to play again but this song was different than his last one. It was relaxing to everyone and he played it so enthusiastically with such confidence he saw that their stances became surer with every passing moment he played.

In the middle Kairi left to compete with a confident swagger in her hips and a pleased smirk on her face. The red head did not return however and Harry continued to play until he finished this song also. Then he decided he had helped his competition enough so he pulled his violin back into his hand and leaned back into his chair to meditate. Sooner than before Krum was called out to face his opponent. Harry was left alone with only the security person stationed by the door for company. He paid this no mind though and continued to prepare himself mentally for the upcoming battle.

When he heard a loud crash outside and a screech of pain he decided that Krum was almost finished so he sat up to begin his stretches. Harry had just finished when the man at the door signaled it was his turn to step out of the tent and into the Arena. However, he hadn't needed to do so as Harry had deduced as much when he could no longer hear the sounds of battle and he stepped out without hesitating.

He summoned his staff, twirling it expertly around himself and got in a defensive crouch waiting for the signal to begin his assault. Harry heard the BOOM of the cannon and immediately sprang into action like a tautly wound spring. He conjured four balls of light that burst from his staff as he twirled it around himself while jumping through the air. They floated up like mini-suns and illuminated the Arena with an eerie white glow.

The terrain looked like a rocky wasteland and it had plenty of boulders for his opponents to hide behind so he was still at risk for ambush. The orbs of light rotated around him slowly, and within the circle of light Harry knew he had enough room that he would have notice to counterattack a charge. However, the inky blackness that lay beyond his circle of light still hid his prey from him and so he had to wait for them to make the first move.

There was a roar in the distance and the answering calls that rang out all around him would have worried him had he not been prepared for it. Harry estimated at least fifteen different voices, coming from all sides and a few were still at a distance. He smirked as he crouched down further, bringing his staff parallel to the ground as he did so and shifting his right foot forward while his left went smoothly back. His hair was held up in a tie but his bangs still hung over his eyes shadowing half his face in darkness.

He heard another roar, this one was closer, louder, and more aggressive then the ones before. Harry couldn't help it, slowly, ever so slowly his lips pulled back into what was a vicious parody of a smile. Gently, in a voice so soft it was only the many-layered enchantments that allowed anyone to hear it, Harry said, "The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the Earth." Then with a horrible CRACK lightening was unleashed from the tip of his staff as he swung it forward swiftly and in the next moment there was an equally horrible scream as it struck.

That terrible parody of a smile never left his face as the rest of the creatures roared as one and the ground trembled slightly as they charged him. The first to charge into his ring of light was an adult Black Orc, nine feet tall, skin blacker than night and eyes a sickly looking yellow. The monster swung his massive arms at him intent on crushing Harry's head with the quick blow but Harry just dropped gracefully into a crouch while swinging his staff forward. Harry almost laughed when it connected with the Orc's middle and the severing hex split it in two.

Brown blood and guts flew into the air, some coating him while the next one charged into the fray. Harry jumped fluidly bringing the staff down on that one's head while using the now dead orc's back as a spring board into his next victim. He caught this one with a bludgeoning hex right on his head. He saw a sparkle of gold at the falling Orc belt and twirled down to snatch it up while thrusting his staff forward into the next one's chest. This one also had a bit of gold at its belt so he grabbed it fast, slipping both into the pouch at his own waist while jumping into the air to avoid another Orc from charging into his back.

He pivoted in the air so he faced the ground, bringing his staff forward he allowed himself to fall, his staff struck the ground with a reverberating CRASH sticking a foot deep into the ground. He held himself upside down with one hand, his back perfectly straight and when the Orcs came in for him he unleashed his attack. The ground shook, with a deafening CRASH pointed spikes of earth erupted around him spearing the charging Orcs through. The screams were louder this time, a chorus of gargled voices, and the mud colored blood rained down around him.

Harry deftly sprang backwards while pulling the staff from the ground, landing on his feet he spun the staff above his head destroying the spikes and summoning the other pieces of gold from the dead Orcs' belts. They flew into his pouch and Harry brought his staff's head down bringing forth a great burst of wind. The remaining Orcs were weary to attack him now and that made his assault all the more pleasing to Harry.

In an amazing show of speed he burst forward charging the remaining ones, the first he beheaded, the next one charged him from behind only to be meet with the end of his staff that pierced through to its heart with ridiculous ease. There was another roar and three converged on him at once. He spun his staff in a fast circle around him firing out cutting curses that cut the Orcs into tiny pieces. He continued to smile as more blood poured down on him and he crouched down while turning to face the remaining Orcs.

The remaining four were wiser than their fallen fellows and turned to run from him in fear. Harry wasn't about to allow that though, he sprang forward after them and the head of his staff began to glow a deep purple. Once he was right behind them he swung it to his opposite side unleashing the attacks at their cowardly backs. These ones screeched the loudest when it connected but it only lasted a moment before the all were blown apart. Blood, bone, guts, skin, and all manner of things fell down while Harry stayed crouched his weapon held across his chest. His head was tilted down, causing his blood soaked hair to shadow his face once more and so all anyone could see was the wicked whiteness of his teeth that were bared in that vicious parody of a smile.

Slowly, Harry rose up bringing his staff to his side, parallel to him and the outer wall. A great wind swirled around him filled with a blue light and the remaining pieces of gold flew up from the Orcs' corpses into his awaiting pouch. All was really quiet for a little while, like everyone was too shocked by the massacre they had seen to react but then it was like thunder. The resounding cheers, screams, and cries of victory filled the Arena. Harry turned and made his way out of the stadium, dripping blood, with his serene mask firmly back in place.

When he made it outside the doors Madeline was waiting for him to bring him to a personal tent she had hastily set up and quickly ushered him into before anyone could reach them. She had brought him his school uniform, drawn a bath and had a brush waiting by the sink. It would seem his ghastly appearance would not be appreciated at the scoring ceremony so he decided to wash the gore off himself fast. The water looked like thick mud when he was done, and by the time he was presentable it was his turn to be scored.

They both made it in time to see his numbers being drawn by the panel of judges, Dumbledore gave him a six, Madam Maxime gave him an eight, Headmaster Karkaroff gave him a ten, Seline gave him a ten and Bagman gave him a seven. Madeline scuffed loudly at Maxime, Dumbledore, and Bagman's scores knowing all to well why they scored him as such. The other Champions, besides Krum, mostly went for incapacitating hexes, jinxes, and curses. As a result the fatality count for them was relatively low, maybe one or two dead between the three of them. However, Harry had decimated his opponents leaving none alive, it had been utterly barbaric, totally awe-inspiring and surprisingly crowd-pleasing. Still, the Task was to retrieve the pieces not slaughter everything that moved and then collect them when you're done.

Madeline still thought Harry had deserved a better score, however, he still placed second and she guessed it was enough for now. She saw the crowds converging, heading towards the champions, and felt a deep well of dread knot up her stomach. One glance at Harry and she **knew** he was not ready to be near so many people yet. So quickly she swept him out of the way and back towards the castle before anyone realized what happened.

She could see it in his eyes, Harry was in one of THOSE moods and right now not many people were safe to be around him. He had something inside of him that had been excited by that bloodbath in there and one wrong move could put someone in the infirmary. (Or worse the grave.) So with that in mind Madeline did what she always did when it came to that part of her son, she protected him from the world, and sequestered him inside his room hastily. Harry would not be ready to join humanity for a while so she locked his doors from the outside and backed off quietly.

The things Harry did, and desired to do, would get him in serious trouble if she weren't careful to watch him in moments like this when he was no longer in control of himself. Usually Harry was very good at hiding that darker part of himself, that thing in him that loved hurting people but when he got like this he couldn't think straight. It was hard for him to see friend from enemy, harder for him to stop himself from doing all those horrible things he wanted to do. So she locked him away, to protect him form himself and she hoped dearly that by morning he would be back in control.

Harry for his part knew what Madeline was doing when she herded him into his roof and sealed the door behind her on the way out. Now, a piece of him…a very small piece at the moment…was thankful she had done so and prevented him from taking what he needed from the masses. Another part of him, the largest part right at the moment wanted to tear down the walls in frustration because he NEEDED more blood. He needed to hear more screams and the pain of being prevented from doing so hurt much like when an addict was denied his drug.

With nothing better to do Harry emptied out his blood encrusted pouch spilling out all the pieces of glittering gold onto his bed. He could see them better now and realized that the gold pieces were all pieces of a three-dimensional puzzle. He would have to reform whatever the puzzle was to get the clue to the next task. However, eyeing all the pieces he knew it would take a while to do so and with nothing better to do he decided he best start on it. Otherwise he may just tear down his walls in search of someone to scream for him, and BLEED for him. The tiny part of him that was still rational was glad he had sent Tink and Grace away for they could not be by him now safely.

Harry had come to terms with the fact that he was very nearly mad quite some time ago and accepted that it was this that both helped and hurt him. There was a fine line between genius and insanity that said line blurred for Harry more each year. Harry could not pinpoint when it was he had begun to fall into madness. He hypothesized it may have been one of those days when he was trapped under those stairs, in that cramped space. It may have been when he had gotten his first beating. It might even be that moment when he had picked up that kitchen knife and walked silently up to his tormentors' rooms. Whenever it was he realized it didn't matter, after all Harry firmly believed that whatever didn't kill you…only made you stranger. And despite their best efforts the Dursleys hadn't managed to kill him. The room seemed to grow colder at the thought and that horrible parody of a smile stretched out across Harry's face as he thought about it.

Yes, he was quite certain that whatever the case may be the Dursleys might have been right about him, he had grown up to be such the terrible little monster. There was an odd glint in his eye as he handled the puzzle pieces, yes, they might have been right. However, little had they known that they were the monster makers and he was nothing but the creation from which their sin had brought forth. His eyes darkened, a thirst came into his eye and Harry said softly into the empty room, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. … And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing; for _it repenteth me_ that I have made them."

**A.N.: So the songs Harry played in the tent are Hocus Pocus, and Classical Gas by Vanessa-Mae in that order. Also some reviewers are asking me about Percy, I made him a year younger because he has a part to play for me and I need him. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. Also a cookie to anyone who can tell where the quote came from, lol, I hope you liked it. READ, REVIEW, and the next installment will come faster PROMISE! Lol**


	15. Breaking Apart

**A.N.: Hello my beautiful readers! So I know I haven't updated, thanks so much for being patient with me! I had some pretty heavy things happen to me and it took me a long time to get writing again. I actually had half this chapter done for a while so please forgive me if this seems a little choppy! I wanted to make one thing clear for you, from this point on this story is going to go a bit…well…more than a bit…INSANE! Its gonna get a little fast from here so I hope your ready for the ride! Lol I already got this story's sequel in the works so don't be sad when this one ends! This is only the beginning guys! **

"**Its not about how hard you hit…it about how hard you can get hit and keep going forward." **

Blank eyes stared at a crumbling wall, nothing had changed, nothing was different, and nothing had happened to change his world, as he knew it. But Harry knew he was changed. Something inside of him had snapped today, something had broken and something inside of him was…wrong. The realization had been slowly creeping up on him without any coaxing on his part. It had dwelled in the deep dark abyss of his mind and had festered there.

It might have started that day in the Ice Cream store, it may have been a little after that but it had been there…waiting for this moment to come to surface. It had been waiting for him to break, to step over that line between madness and brilliance. He had done that today and now it was as if something inside of him had died. All because it would never be enough for him. No matter how much he made them suffer, no matter if he burned down the world down around him and saw every last Muggle die. None of it was enough. Not for him. It just…wouldn't compare to what he had been through.

They had stolen more than a childhood from him, more than his innocence and more than his sanity. His 'Parents' had taken more than that from him and no matter how he struck out at them it would never be enough. It was because they had stolen from him before he had even known it was there. They had stolen any chance he could have had of feeling, REALLY FEELING, true lasting happiness. He had suffered in silence while they had moved on with their lives, he had been beat, broken, tossed aside while they had started a new family.

They had forgotten him; they had lived, loved, and been happy, smiled, played, cried, laughed, truly lived while he had been forced into a half-life. He wasn't dead, but he wasn't truly living either. They had taken that from him, taken any chance he had at living a normal life because he sincerely didn't know how to do so anymore. He didn't know how to laugh, he didn't know how to smile right, he didn't know how to love, he didn't know how to be happy and it was their entire fault.

The Dursleys' may have been the Monster Makers but his 'family' they were the human destroyers. Nothing he could do to them could ever compare to what he had been through…what he was going through. Simply for the fact that they knew these things, they knew what it is to love, to live, and even if he took these things away from them they would remember them. If he took away their happiness, took their smiles, took their laughs, took their love, and even if he took their lives they still had it at one point. Even if he took all these things, they had had them to take in the first place. He didn't have theses things; no one could take them because he had never possessed them in the first place.

So…it would never be enough because they would have something to cling to…something to remember when only the echoes of theses things remain. Their memories would insure that even if he destroyed those things later, they would still have them, in memories, in a smile of a stranger, in the glow of the moon, in the echo of what had been. Things like that don't just go away because they were taken at some point. They knew them and so they knew how to get them back. Even if he took their very lives it wouldn't be enough, the suffering would not be the same and he would remain the same.

He was a dead thing, something that knew not how to love, that didn't know how to live, and welcomed death at his door. Harry saw the world as it was, not as they wanted it to be, and so he knew that life found ways to beat you down. Every chance it had it would hit you, and it would keep on hitting you until you were on your knees before it, broken. Harry had learned that early enough in life that he had come to accept it, life was not all rainbows and smiles like the light would have you believe.

It was hurt, it took a lot of blood and at the end of the day you had to decide if you were going to stay on your knees or if you were going to stand up for another hit. Harry was beginning to realize it didn't matter how hard he hit back, life continued to hit him harder and here he was back on his knees. His blank eyes seemed to freeze at the thought; he was on his knees because he finally acknowledged his revenge was never going to be enough for him. However, he had been on his knees before, life had never been kind to him and he already knew it was a savage place. The question now was, was he willing to let this beat him? Did he want to give into this madness and this deadening inside of him?

His emerald eyes sparked with life at the thought, and gained fire as he got up from his listless stupor to stand tall. No, no he would not allow this nor anything else keep him down. Harry scowled angrily into thin air as if he was challenging fate, this would not beat him, he would get up from his knees and he would keep taking hits. This wouldn't be the end of him; he had things to do, and goals to accomplish! Harry knew now it wasn't about how many hits he threw back, it wasn't about getting some revenge from his 'parents' and it wasn't even about ridding the world of its Muggle infestation. No, it was about him trying to keep moving forward.

It was not about how many hits he shot back at the world, no it was about how many hits he could take from the world and keep going forward. Harry was not going to allow anything to hold him down, not his insanity, not his 'family', not the light and definitely not the world. He was stronger than that, Harry was stronger than this, and he wasn't going to fall apart because it wasn't even. If burning down the world wouldn't be enough to satisfy him…he would still see it burn. He would watch it burn and from the ashes would raise something new.

What that something was he knew not. Harry did know one thing though, it was time to get past this, it was time to stop wallowing in self-pity, it was pathetic and below him. He was strong, stronger than this, he would own this insanity and he would own this unsatisfaction with life. Suddenly feeling better than he had since he had stepped into this decaying castle Harry found he was enthused with new purpose. He felt powerful once more and with a wave of a hand the crumbling ruin that he had made his room was whole once more…just as he wished he could be.

----------------------------x previously during tournament x-------------------------------

Alucard stirred from his slumber as he felt a tugging on his blood and very suddenly his eyes snapped open to glow in the darkness of his room. His wicked smile stretched across his face and he pushed on the pulling of his blood. He chuckled in satisfaction when he felt the steady drawing on him that could only be from his little one. It would seem that the blood he had forced on his little one was finally taking affect. It had been dormant up until now, and it appeared that at the moment Tristen was bloodthirsty enough to draw on it subconsciously.

When he had forced his blood into his little one that night it had never been in the intent to turn him, no for that to happen his blood had to be taken willingly. His blood instead acted differently within his little one, it would heal most injuries somewhat, it would extent his life, and it would serve as a marker to other vampires. It would not turn him into a vampire, just give him some vampiric attributes now that it had activated.

He was one of the last from the purest line, one of the first, and so his blood affected people differently than the less pure vampires walking about. For example, if he gave his blood to a willing precipitant than they would become Vampire and be under his control. They would feel compelled to follow his will, never oppose him and to call him Master. However, if he granted his blood to them once more after the change they would be free of him and have their own wills once more.

In his little one's case his forcibly given, so his blood affect him differently, instead of changing he remained the same and of his own will. Still, in times of great emotional or mental stress his blood would activate within the vessel (i.e. Tristen) causing him to take on some of his personality. His little one would become bloodthirsty, craving to kill not necessarily drink, and take on some of his features. If he continued to tap into his blood due to stress on his body than for a short time his little one could gain some of his features, such as his red eyes or a pair of fangs.

Now, if his blood went dormant again these changes wouldn't take place but there would still be an affect left on his Tristen. He would feel drawn to him more; to seek him out and even on some level Tristen would desire him. There would be a craving for his company too, it would not be too bad but still it would be enough. He had plans for his little one; he had been contemplating the various ways to tie Tristen to him since he had come to realize he could not last long without the divine taste of his blood.

His goal was to get his little one to willing take some of his blood, so that he would turn but this would change him differently than the rest. It was because he had forcible given Tristen his blood the first time when he took his blood the second time there would be a bond formed between them. No matter how many times Tristen took his blood after that he would not be freed of him like the rest. It would mean that his little one would finally be his for all of eternity, it didn't really matter much to Alucard that this was not what Tristen wanted.

Alucard was a selfish creature, who would not be after centuries of self-indulgence? He could not think past his need for Tristen's blood and body. He did not think past his own desires, Alucard could never understand why it was the Tristen wished to die. For all these things Alucard could not understand, so in turn he was unable to understand the one he desired above all else and this was the reason he overlooked the consequences of his actions. Should his plan succeed, Tristen would no doubt despise the one whom stole his eternal rest from him. Alucard could not see this, so he felt no remorse pushing on his forced connection with the boy and in doing so he broke Tristen in a way beyond repair.

The madness that had dwelled in Tristen had been contained tirelessly by Tristen to keep himself from hurting the ones he did not wish to harm. It had strained him in many things, made him prone to acting strangely and it was the reason that while he could be cold he was still very gentle. He had done this by pushing down most of his madness, releasing it only in controlled environments set up by him and directed to things he cared not for. This had worked for years but it had taken its toll on him in more ways than most knew.

Alucard pushed him to far; it shattered his control, forcing him to act more brutally in public to prevent himself from striking out at someone. It made him too weak to stop the thoughts that had been plaguing him from the beginning and in turn it forced him to confront a very deep dark truth that he had been hiding from. While this would eventually forced him to grow stronger in order to overcome this obstacle to reach his goals it also unleashed something else entirely. His insanity, which had been so well controlled before had now broken lose and the consequences of this have yet to be seen. One thing was for certain; everything Tristen did from this point on would be touched by his insanity and the pure chaos that dwelled within him.

---------------------x-------------------

Hermione didn't understand, and if there was one thing in the world she hated it was, not understanding something. She had always been the bookworm, the know-it-all, and she had never once minded the fact she was the social outcast. Even at Hogwarts, a place she had thought would be full of strange accepting people she had been the pariah no one dared to befriend. At least that was how it had been until her second year and Suzie Forester had come along.

Suzie was kind, courageous, smart, and very outgoing. Hermione often wondered why she had not ended up in Griffindor instead of Ravenclaw. Suzie had sought her out, befriended her and in doing so Hermione had gained a place in life for the first time. She had been grateful, so grateful, that she was no longer alone and had some friends to share her life with that she had never once questioned Suzie's eccentrics. Suzie talked endlessly of the brother, no one had met and how awe-inspiring he had been.

She had talked so endlessly of him, Hermione had, without meaning to, begun to believe that there was a mysterious boy out there who was above all others. She had even begun to idealize him in a way, after all someone had to be truly special to gain such devotion from such a beautifully pure girl. Hermione had believed her until she had laid her eyes on Tristen, until she had spent time in his company. Tristen was so cold, he was such a contradiction, he was almost cruel and yet he had a flock of followers whom were as devoted as Suzie was to him.

For a while she had suspected magic to be the reason behind his following because they seemed to be devoted to him in a way that seemed almost unnatural. However, every test she did, every spell she cast, none of it reversed the affects and their reaction to him never changed. Eventually Hermione had come to accept that it wasn't magic that bound these people to the cold but caring Tristen Winter. So she had set about trying to study them, to study him in order to find out the reason why they cared for him so.

Yet everything he did gave no indication to why they seemed to worship him and every little thing he did. After his display in the first task she even wondered why they had no fear of him. They didn't behave like toadies, they didn't follow him out of fear or some misguided thought that by being near they could be great themselves. No, they were well and truly in love with everything he did. And Hermione for the life of her could not figure out why.

There was nothing he did that she saw that could evoke such feeling from them. He was kind, she gave him that, he never treated them cruelly, nor did he flaunt his power over him like some would be inclined to but he was just so cold. His eyes were as hard as the emeralds they resembled, cold, hard, jaded, and when he had them upon her Hermione felt as if her inside would freeze. He was a polite boy, courteous even, but she had watched him around people.

He never touched anyone voluntarily, and if the occasion called for contact he kept himself back to keep touching to the minimum. It was really amazing how he seemed to float down the halls of the school as if nothing could reach him. He was graceful and if one wasn't looking for it one would not see how he avoided touch so. She had studied him long enough that she had noted the way he turned before someone could graze his side when he walked or the way he only allowed Suzie to hold his hand. Even his little group of followers got the bare minimum of touching that would be considered casual. He avoided contact with everyone else like the plague.

Besides that, he was just so…distant, his face always looked so serene, so calm but that didn't change the fact that it was also blank. He showed no emotion, it was like he was a robot going through the motions of life but not living in it. He was strange, cold; kind, distant and so contradicting it gave her a headache thinking of it. And he was such a hard puzzle that she found herself lost…she just couldn't understand what it was about him that had caused the people that surrounded him to be so devoted to him.

She was going to find out today, if she couldn't figure this out on her own then she was going to have to resort to just directly asking one of them. Not Suzie, she would not understand why Hermione needed to know. Cleo was the one she'd approach, as she seemed the most calm and welcoming out of all the intimidating flock that followed Tristen around. She woke early and made her way to where the Noctiluca students were staying. Hermione had followed Suzie enough to know where it was and she knocked on the portrait waiting for someone to answer.

Gabriel was the one who answered, she had considered asking him but he was just too quiet for her tastes. "Hello, is Cleo here still?" He nodded slightly a curious look on his face but he didn't ask her reasons for being here so early. "Would you get her for me?" He paused, as if thinking over her request, and finally he nodded slowly before retreating back behind the portrait. Hermione fidgeted nervously as she waited for her salvation from the headache that was the "Tristen Mystery".

A few minutes later she heard some whispers from behind the Portrait but she couldn't distinguish anything before it opened to reveal a very curious looking Cleo. Hermione had liked Cleo from the start even though the color of her eyes was a bit disturbing but you had to get used to see the great girl she really was. Hermione smiled hesitantly, "Cleo could I talk to you alone for a moment?" "Sure," she replied before stepping out of the portrait hole closing it behind her as she did.

"Umm, this way lets take a short walk," Hermione said trying hard to hide her anxiety. She really didn't know how her questions would be received mostly because Cleo was so devoted to Tristen as all that followed him around. However, she seemed very kind and understanding so Hermione was hopeful she wouldn't be insulted. "The reason I wanted to talk to you is I have some questions I need to ask you…" "Go on." "Well plainly I don't understand why you and everyone really are so fixated on this Tristen Winter? To me he just seems so cold and I find your loyalty to him baffling."

Cleo stared steadily at Hermione as if she was waiting for something more, "Is that all? You just want to know what it is about the Prince that holds us to him so?" Hermione nodded her head furiously, half embarrassed and half expecting. "Well, I don't know what to say, really I have no idea how to explain it to you in a way you'd accept…" Cleo looked off and absentmindedly started to head back to the Noctiluca dorms.

"What can I tell you that you can't see already?" Cleo sighed, and then she brightened and started to nod excitedly to herself. "Yes, that's perfect!" she grabbed Hermione's hand before she could even protest she was being dragged bodily into their dorms. She led her down the hall and past the curious stares from the others to a very ordinary looking door. Cleo knocked lightly like she was nervous on how she would be greeted but she shouldn't have been.

Tristen opened the door looking as serene and perfect as he always did. He had that same expression on his face, like the world couldn't touch him and it disturbed Hermione as much as it always did. "Yes Cleo," his voice was soft, like a caress and it made Hermione shiver inside. "My Prince, I would ask that you help Hermione as you've helped me." Her voice was subdued and solemn like she was asking for a great favor.

He looked at Hermione then, really looked, his eyes like shards of glass and just as cutting with his intensity. Hermione felt like shrinking into herself and disappearing if only to escape those eyes. Then just like that they went back to the jaded cold emerald that she had come to expect from him. He looked at Cleo and nodded, he stepped aside to allow entrance to his room. Hermione didn't want to move, she was scared, and she didn't know what the hell was happening. Cleo was insistent though and pushed her through his door forcefully.

Hermione heard the door click shut behind her and turned to find Cleo had not followed her in, she was alone…with Tristen. He calmly walked towards her, she was frozen she couldn't make her legs work. He reached her and just stood there before her for a minute, just staring. Then he started to circle her, studying her, it reminded her terribly of the sharks she saw on an animal documentary when she was younger.

Then he did something totally unexpected, he took her hand gently in his and lead her to a chair beside his bed and sat her down with equal gentleness. She was quite dazed by the turn of events and it just kept getting stranger. He slid a smooth soft hand down her cheek and cupped her chin forcing her to meet his eyes. They were still jaded and cold, however, they had a shine to them that drew her in almost like an allusion of warmth that could have been there.

"You know you're a very beautiful girl," he said silkily, his voice soft, soothing, and this time it didn't disturb her. "Such a shame to have your beauty trapped where the world cannot see it as I do," his hand left her chin but she couldn't take her gaze away from him. He waved his hand and a small case flew from somewhere to his awaiting hand. Hermione was so enchanted with him at that moment that she didn't even register the use of wandless magic.

"I'll have to fix that, you are beautiful why not share that fact with the world. You have a brilliance about you Hermione that needs to be shared, you are sharp, sharper than the rest of these fools attending this dying school," he took a container from the case and tilted her head back. He circled around her and then began to gently work something into her hair, nimble fingers running through her hair relaxing her so much she felt her eyes drift shut.

----------------x---------------

The girl, Hermione, had fallen asleep during his ministrations and Harry didn't feel like waking her any time soon. It would be easier this way, without her able to consciously or subconsciously fighting him. He would make her beautiful, it was like shining a rough diamond, easier than most people would assume.

Harry wasn't all to sure why he was doing this other than the fact that Cleo asked it of him, He thought maybe it was because he needed to know if he could handle this still. If he could control himself, she was so vulnerable sitting there slumped into the chair…it wouldn't take much at all to end her.

He reached out with his fingertips and slid them along her exposed neck gently…barely grazing her skin. His fingers traced over her artery, no it wouldn't take much at all…just a little cut and all that pretty blood would flow right out. He could imagine it now, it flowing down her neck, thick and heavy soaking into her clothes to pool at her feet. Really she would look so beautiful with her face drained of blood, starkly white, blood gathered at her feet like velvety red rose petals.

Yes, it wouldn't take much at all one little nip and he could settle that monster in him for a time. Just as he was about to summon the magic to end her Harry managed to stop, managed to think and he drew away from her. He gulped at the air as if he was drowning, his hands were shaking with the effort to stop, Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

He didn't think it would be this hard, Harry looked to the girl sleeping in his chair and wondered if she knew just how close to death she had come, if she would ever know. Oh, Harry knew she saw the monster in him…Hermione was amazingly insightful she saw the monster when everyone else saw the prince.

Harry smiled wickedly at the thought and his hands went around his middle tightening in his effort to keep himself in control. As much as he desired to hurt something, to make someone else bleed and scream for him he would not allow himself to do so here. This girl was a witch, she was like him, she deserved to live and he would not take her life from her. He could not allow the monster inside of him out and in a desperate move to gain control Harry went to his mirror.

The enchantments that had been on it had bothered him, so he stripped it down; now his mirror was just a normal mirror in his room. Harry hated hearing the vain reflection come to life, talking, making comments, to him a reflection was very personal something not to be meddled with. But as he gazed at himself in the mirror he could not see the prince everyone else saw, he saw the beast that laid in wait within him.

Hypnotized by it Harry had an insane impulse he quickly gave into, "Mirror, Mirror, heart of black, Can you see the things I lack?" He reached out to touch the cold surface of it caressing his reflections cheek, it was frozen, "I suffer silent, still and cold; Thinking of things of old." His smile was frozen too, sharp like broken glass, it reflected the shattered pieces of him. "Blood runs deep and I must confess, Only then can I find a semblance of happiness," His emerald eyes grew glazed as he stared at the mirror, seeing the beast lurking there moving under his skin.

"Blood soaked hands I must hide, With the monster I keep inside," One hand went to cover where his heart should be and Harry imagined it was as cold…lifeless as the mirror reflection before him. His other hand did not leave the mirrors surface, it looked as if there were two of him, "Mirror, Mirror, Can't you see? What this reflection does to me?" Harry imagined for a moment that there was two of him, one the beast hungering for chaos, the other the Prince trying so hard to slay the beast.

The question was which one was he? Was he the beast he saw reflected in the mirror, yearning to see everything and everyone burning down? Or was he the Prince, trying to slay the beast? Which one? "Fire burn and ashes pile, How did I become so Vile?" When he could no longer stand to see his own face any longer he turned his back on the mirror. He leaned heavily back onto it, feeling the cold seep into him through his clothes.

"For now I know a truth so rough, This will never be enough," Harry shut his eyes, trying to come to grips with himself. "Blood flowed deep and ashes fly high, I will never reach the sky…". Slowly he was managing to gain control of himself. "Heavens gates wont open for me," his face was back to his serene pose, he turned back for a moment and just caught his reflection as he was walking back to Hermione.

Quietly he whispered to himself as he went back to shining a rough diamond, "Oh, Mirror, Mirror can't you see; What this reflection does to me?"

--------------x--------------

When Hermione woke she was only slightly unnerved to see Tristen's face in close proximity to her own, only slightly because his face was as serene and perfect as always. "You're as beautiful now as you ever will be," she imagined he would be smiling had he been a normal person. Eventually curiosity got the better of her and she glanced around searching for one so she might see herself.

However, she found it odd that there were no mirrors in Tristen's room, not one, and for some reason that sent a shiver up her back. He held his hand out to her and Hermione was more than stunned. From what she knew of him, Tristen did not like to be touched or get touched by anyone for any extended period of time. Still, it made her feel special knowing this and Hermione took his offered hand.

He didn't like people touching him but he wanted to touch her…it made Hermione feel somewhat proud. He led her to the hallway where a large mirror hung proudly, oddly she found it wasn't enchanted but the thought slipped her mind when she caught a glimpse of herself. She almost didn't recognize the girl in the mirror. Hermione just couldn't truly believe she was staring at herself in the mirror. The girl before her was so…pretty, her hair looked like ringlets of spun caramel, her skin looked flawlessly soft, her eyebrows elegantly arched and her lips were full and pouting.

It took her breath away, then Tristen leaned down and whispered in her ear, "This is the true you, this is the beauty I will show the world today." His breath was cool on her ear and Hermione couldn't stop the blush from creeping onto her cheeks. He took her arm and linked it with his and started to lead her down the hall to the dormitory exit. All his little followers were waiting for him and let him pass with a bit of reverence she hadn't seen before.

They exited first and then the rest followed them down to the Great hall. Hermione was nervous, she didn't recognize the girl in the mirror and she still felt like the ugly duckling. So it almost made her heart stop when they entered the hall and every eye turned on them. Tristen looked as calm as ever, so she strived to do the same and it was not as easy as he made it look. Hermione had a new respect for him then, because she really didn't realize how hard it was to keep her face calm.

Everyone was staring openly at her now; it made her uncomfortable in the highest degree. "They are staring at your beauty Hermione, they are consumed by it, why not smile for them?" Tristen said in that silky smooth voice. Hermione managed a weak smile that turned real when a boy stumbled all over himself cause of her. Tristen took her to their table and had her sit at his side. He even made up her plate for her and set it before her.

As she ate she thought of Tristen, and the feeling he had invoked within her with a simple makeover. He had made her beautiful, and she felt so much more confident sitting next to him. She felt important, confident, beautiful, and terribly out of place all at the same time. Hermione just didn't understand why such a simple thing was effecting her so profoundly, after all Tristen had not changed, he was not warmer nor was he any kinder. Yet, she found herself looking beyond what she saw on the surface, and maybe she was imagining it but she felt Tristen valued her.

As she trailed beside him that day it was suddenly staggering how different it was being a part of this group than being on the outside looking in. There was a calm, quiet, connection they all shared that could only be felt when you were a part of it. Tristen treated everyone the same, no one was singled out, no one was left out, and for once she felt as if she belonged. Tristen was amazing to be near, there was just this unspeakable quality that he had that drew in anyone he set his sights on.

-----------------x----------------

Harry wondered if he could keep it together, all day it was a challenge, keeping his face serene and detached when all he wanted to do was unleash hell. He wanted to tear apart everyone he saw, he wanted to bring this crumbling castle down, he wanted to make someone scream long and loud for him. If he had another run-in with his biological parents that day he didn't know if he could restrain himself from killing them.

And they deserved far worse than what death would give them, the only thing that helped in any miniscule way was concentrating on converting Hermione. While she was by far below his usual required level of skills one should never dismiss a pawn when presented with one. She could turn out to be a very useful spy, or at worst convenient canon fodder. So as they walked to the first of the classes presented by Noctiluca he contemplated how he could use his newest tool to his highest advantage.

The Headmistress was waiting for them outside with about half the school on the grounds with them, the Noctiluca students stayed off to one side wanting to remain separate from them. Harry wasn't sure what they would teach these novices about magic because anything worth knowing was far above their level as far as he could tell. Except for maybe Suzie but that was just because he had taught her magic long before the 'professors' here could screw it up.

Seline, the Headmistress, was standing on a raised podium looking as composed and perfect as the day they had arrived at the horrid castle. Her hair was in a tight updo, and her version of their uniform made her stand out with its flowing skirt. Harry sensed her magic in the air and immediately focused her attention in on her making sure his group did so also.

"May I have your attention please," Seline's sonorous voice sounded across the field and everyone's focus was captured right away. "Before I begin I thought it would be wise to let everyone know a little bit more about our school so that one can understand just how hard it is to keep up with our curriculum and why I will be teaching certain things during these Noctiluca sessions."

"To be considered for enrollment as a Noctiluca student one must have certain qualities that are hard to find these days, first, all our students have to have a certain grasp of their own magic before they even commence learning. What this means to our students is that they have performed a feat of recognizable, controlled magic before the age of nine or ten." There was a murmur through the crowd and one muggle-born muttered fairly loudly that it was a school for purebloods then.

Seline heard this and Harry saw a flicker in her eyes, she barely controlled her urge to scowl at the said provoker. "However, this does not mean that all our students are purebloods, quite the opposite really. Miss Winter, if you would be so kind as to come forward please." Madeline smiled at Harry as she made her way to the front, though she did cast a cautious eye to Hermione.

"Miss Winter is one of our best and brightest senior students. A fully accredited Potion Master at age twelve, and the honored student of her year. What most do not know is that Miss Winter here was born in the Muggle world and did not even know of the Magical World until her representative came to test her."

"Now before you interrupt do remember that I said the first thing one of our students must do to become eligible for enrollment is perform a controlled feat of magic. I'm sure everyone here is aware of accidental magic? Yes? Good, Madeline here had performed plenty of these 'accidental' feats but what makes her a prime example of what Noctiluca is all about is the same thing that made her able to join our esteemed school."

She turned to Madeline and smiled just a bit at her, "Dear, if you would show our esteemed trail students what you did to gain our attention?" Seline smirked a bit as she eyed the collected Professors, especially Dumbeldore, and Madeline flashed the collected audience a obliging smiled. "My pleasure Headmistress," Madeline bowed her head and stepped a ways from Seline taking a deep breath as she did so.

Madeline's eyes caught Severus' as she took another breath and extended her arms forward. Her welcoming smile turned wicked as a strong lilac colored flame suddenly ignited in her hands. It was mesmerizing, the flame danced up her arms and Madeline laughed, as it appeared as if she had literally caught flame. The sight of her was awe inspiring, her hair floated up around her laced with flame becoming almost as if flame itself.

There was a collective gasp from everyone but the Noctiluca student's whom had seen such sights regularly. Still, the sight was no less impressive to them and a proud gleam appeared in many of their eyes. Snape was captivated, he couldn't look away from Madeline, she just took his breath away. "Miss Winter first displayed this ability when she was very young and from her talent with this skill she began to control the magic inside of her. What makes this so impressive is she was born of the Muggle world, with no prior knowledge of Magic. So you see Noctiluca isn't just a school for the magically aware, it is a school that recognizes Potential."

Seline nodded to Madeline and her flames went out as she nodded to Seline walking off the podium a moment later. Everyone's attention was laid rapt on Seline now and she couldn't hold in her smirk. "So now one can see the difference between accidental magic and a controlled feat. Our students' all performed something similar which made them adequate for consideration, however, this is not the only thing we require."

"This is what leads us to the second thing essential to being accepted as one of our students, awareness. I can see some of you are confused as I have just finished saying that awareness of the Magical world was not a requirement. Which is absolutely true, one does not need to know of the Magical world but of magic itself. You see, every one of us has magic inside of us, a core; it is the very thing that makes us what we are. It is vital that our students have an awareness of magic, even if they do not know exactly what it is they are aware of."

"The reason for this I'm afraid I cannot divulge as it is a part of our entrance examination and a school secret as it were…" she smiled a bit smugly at Albus' disappointed eyes. "What I will be teaching everyone today is a lesson every one of our first years learn right when they begin at our academy. In fact, it is one of the first things they are tested on and is compulsorily to master by second year."

"I'm sure everyone is sufficiently curious now so I wont delay the beginning of our lesson any longer. What we will be learning today is how to be aware of your sore and how to fully connect with it." At this a brave girl from Hogwarts raised her hand, "Yes dear," Seline said. "But Headmistress I don't understand aren't we already connected to our core? I mean we all know we're magically, right? So we all know our core?"

"Ah, a good question and I am happy you had the courage to ask as I'm sure quite a few people are thinking the same. You see being aware of magic and that you're magical is one thing. Being fully connected to your core is another. I think the best way to display this is a demonstration as I did before. Lets see, who would be the best to showcase the meaning I want to get across…yes, Mr. Winter would you please join me up here?"

Harry froze as all eyes turned to him and he bit back the urge to curse everyone's eyes slashed. He nodded anyway and made his way begrudged to what he was quickly seeing as a stage not a raised platform. His Headmistress obviously wasn't pulling any stops, Seline wanted to show her school's power while leaving the essentials a remaining mystery. Harry couldn't decide if he admired her audacity or resented it.

When he made his way onto the 'stage' Seline shot him a look, almost as if in apology, but Harry could understand her even if he hated it. "Now dears what Tristen is about to do is very difficult and takes training so don't get any ideas from this. I simply want you to understand the difference I'm talking about he is uncommonly good at this exercise so do try not to be intimidated." Seline gave him a nod to go ahead.

Surprisingly to the gathered audience Harry sat cross-legged down on the stage and just closed his eyes. For the first few minutes that looked like all he was doing, rather anti-climatic after the last one caught on fire. However, just as their attention started to drift Harry started to glow green and with that there was a pressure in the air. The pressure just got heavier and Harry went from glowing to shining with an almost blinding light.

A stillness went over the crowd as Harry began to levitate off the ground and his entire being seemed to float. "What Tristen is doing is not a spell, trick, or anything of the sort. He is so connected to the magic inside of him at this very moment that his magic has manifested itself in this way. Now everyone is different, some when they connect to their cores they spark, some the wind picks up around them, some don't have anything manifest at all they just feel stronger for it. The point is that being fully connected to your core and KNOWING that you have a core is different."

"Tristen you may stop now," Harry returned to his spot by his entourage with a sort of relief because he wasn't sure how in control he was then. "Now, we'll begin our lesson slowly if everyone would take a seat," everyone was only too eager to sit down. A few even fell in their zeal to get the lesson started. "Close your eyes and just listen to the sound of my voice, deep breaths now. In. Out. In. Out. Now imagine your floating in a sea of color, you are calm and relaxed. Now just keep that feeling for a while, no cares, no worries, just yourself in a world all your own."

"I want you to remember to keep in this state but now I also want you to recall what it feels like to perform magic. Don't think of performing it with a wand remember it's just you, floating, and the feel of making something wonderful happen. Deep breathes, once you have that feeling I want you to hold that to you, keep your calm but don't let go of that feeling either. Its alright if you can't grasp this the first time, just keep trying…" And so it went on for almost an hour, Seline, giving instructions gently to her audience while they just sat and listened to her soft voice.

For the first lesson it went rather smoother than even the Headmistress expected but Seline thought that was probably due to the awesome impact her students had on them. When the first hour was up she drew them out of their meditative states, "Now I'm sure plenty of you want to continue on but I would advise against using this technique any more today. As you are not used to this and there is a danger of becoming magically exhausted if one is not cautious."

There was some grumbling but in the end everyone pulled out of practicing to find that while they felt amazing they were also startlingly tired as well. Like they'd stretched a cramped muscle after running ten miles, it curious but not unexpected result considering they were not used to the exercise. Seline encouraged them to get up and stretch their legs a bit before she moved on to the next and last lesson of the day.

"Now that everyone has had a chance to move around a bit I'd like all those who know how to play an instrument to raise their hands and everyone who does not know how to please sit." Her mouth pinched fractionally when a more than half the collected students sat down. When Seline factored out her own pupils she was more then disappointed at the number that was left and she had to stop a sigh from slipping out.

"A shame, well, I guess there is nothing I can do about that…I had hoped there would be more of you so I could get into a bit of casting before our teaching rotation ended but I guess all I can do is give you a bit of the theory instead of any practical. Such a shame that," Seline tried to refrain from grumbling in disgust. "What I had planned to get a bit into was some light musical casting but since most of you don't know how to play…"

Clark Potter couldn't help but scoff at that, fairly loudly too, and when everyone's attention suddenly focused in on him he couldn't stop himself from saying, "Like that is all that impressive anyway." It didn't escape Harry's notice or anyone else for that matter that he was one of the ones sitting down. A hard gleam lit up Seline's eyes at his words, it pricked at her pride and made some righteous indignation flare up in her belly. Not to mention it angered more than a few of the Noctiluca students as well, since one of the academy's prides and joys was the fact they had continued to teach how to cast spells using music.

It angered her just enough to make her act a bit rashly, since he had not only insulted her, her students, and her school but also her magic as well. "Perhaps I should show you just how very…what was it? Oh yes…_**impressive**_ casting can be through the musical medium." She turned her sharp eyes on Harry and his group. "Logan, Leon, Alex, Tristen, if you would be so kind," she said a bit bitingly gesturing toward the stage. They wasted no time gathering there, "Usually when one casts using Music it is best to do so alone as if you are not in prefect harmony with the others playing/casting alongside you the results can be…well lets just say it isn't _pleasant_ and leave it at that."

"The group you see before me is an exception to this as they have enough experience with this that there is no danger here. Since they can cast together however, their casting will be even more than it would should they do so alone." Seline stepped off the 'stage' and gestured for them to begin. They understood what she wanted from them and silently they began to prepare themselves.

Logan crossed his arms, his hands sparked a bit while two drumsticks appeared in his hands. More sparks danced around his feet as a drum set appeared along with his seat as he made to sit down. Leon held his hands at an angle, flames ignited in the air between his hands and a guitar appeared. Alex smirked darkly and turned to the side as a black smoke trailed down his hands and a base guitar appeared. Harry just ran a hand down his throat swaying a bit as he did so and his violin just faded into being in his hands.

Enraptured by the just the summoning of their instruments no one spoke, nervously awaiting for what was going to happen next. Harry moved a bit to the front with Leon and Alex at a bit of an angle behind him. Alex began strumming a bit, Harry soon joined him playing simple notes, and there was a whispering everyone on edge. Then suddenly Logan and Leon joined in powerfully making some jump.

They continued like that for a bit and then everyone was stunned when Harry began to sing. Harry's eyes were shadowed by his hair making it all seem that much more haunting.

_**And this is how it feels when I ignore the words you spoke to me  
And this is where I lose myself when I keep running away from you  
And this who I am when I don't know myself anymore  
And this is what I choose when it's all left up to me**_

Everyone, well except for the Noctiluca students, was tense waiting to see what was going to happen.

_**Breath your life into me  
I can't feel you  
I'm falling, falling faster  
Breath your life into me  
I still need you  
I'm falling, falling  
Breath into me**_

Slowly, one by one, everyone who wasn't from Noctiluca began to stand up. Some realized with horror that they could not control this at all.

_**And this is how it looks when I am standing on the edge  
And this is how I break apart when I finally hit the ground  
And this is how it hurts when I pretend I don't feel any pain  
And this is how I disappear when I throw myself away**_

Eventually everyone, including the foreign Professors, was standing. Some tried to scream only to find out they could not, and it only caused more panic to set in as they realized they could not do anything. They just hung there like broken puppets. Some tried to struggle, some had tears falling from their eyes, but no one could do anything to break away from it.

_**Breath your life into me  
I can't feel you  
I'm falling, falling faster  
Breath your life into me  
I still need you  
I'm falling, falling  
Breath into me**_

Then they began a broken dance, it was like some horrible nightmare. A few adults drew chilling similarities to the Imperius curse to what was happening but they also realized it was much worse. Since they knew what was going on but could not stop it, they felt powerless, unable to even scream out their frustrations. All they could to was follow the music, do as it commanded and dance a broken looking dance.

_**Breath your life into me  
I can't feel you  
I'm falling, falling faster  
Breath your life into me  
I still need you  
I'm falling, falling  
Breath into me**_

Gradually, one by one they found their pace on the floor sitting once more and with horrified eyes they watched them end the song. All the while the shock of not being able to fight it at all set in.

_**Breath your life into me  
I'm falling  
Falling faster  
Breath your life into me  
Falling, falling  
Falling  
Breath into me**_

When the song ended Harry left so quickly it took everyone a long while to realize he was gone. He left behind a huge mess, but Harry could not stay there. He had not meant to do that to them, Harry had intended to show them an elaborate illusion or something like that. The point was he hadn't meant to take it that far, he had meant to cast something harmless but impressive.

However, the moment he had went to sing everything he had been trying to hard to hold back leaked through. He wanted to kill them all he had just barely managed to hold himself back. The words to his song had paralleled his life to much and in the end he had to leave or he would give into that beast.

He felt like he was suffocating, Harry it felt like he was breaking again and there was nothing holding him to the earth. With shaking hands Harry drew out the diary, he needed Tom, he needed blood and screaming and destruction too. Harry couldn't allow his monster out so he tried to focus everything on Tom.

Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. He could think straight and he was so far gone he couldn't even summon a quill. He slit his finger instead writing in his own blood.

Help HELP, I can't Tom, I can't control it! TOM

_I'm here, I'm here, you are safe Harry, I'm here, and I'll always be here._

_Tom…I need you, I need to control it but I can't I can't, need someone to scream for me! I can't _

_I understand Harry, I understand, Where are you?_

_Forest…Hogwarts…need_

_Go a bit further in, and then I can help you. _

_Ok…_

Harry gritted his teeth leaving his hand bleeding on the dairy, he needed to hurt someone, he needed to kill something, and he needed it so much he almost couldn't walk. He had to cut at his own hands to keep focused enough to continue moving, at that moment he would have given anything…even his life…just to scream.

Somehow he managed to make it into the very heart of the forest, he collapsed on the ground panting afterward. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed as he used his blooded hands to write to his Tom.

_I'm here…can't much longer Tom_

_Don't worry; I'll take care of you. _

It felt like something was sucking the life from him, he couldn't move and slowly a phantom like apparition appeared before him. It was a young man, a bit older than him; he was the most entrancing thing Harry had ever laid eyes on. Though he looked familiar Harry was too far gone to remember where he had seen this man before.

Harry was limp as the phantom knelled beside him feeling surprisingly solid as he picked Harry up to place him in his lap. Harry could still see through him but he was getting clearer as Harry himself felt colder. "Cold…" Harry said weakly. "Yes, I know I cannot do this for long Harry, but I can be here for you for just a little while."

The weak smile was unexpected but Harry was too far-gone to care much about it as he smiled up at the man holding him. "Tom…" Tome placed a finger on his lips, "Shh, don't talk we don't have much time." And with that Tom placed his lips on Harry's effectively silencing him.

His only thought as his vision became fuzzier was how good it felt, it was how he had imagined coming home would feel and he savored it even as he fell into oblivion. Tom pulled back sadly caressing Harry's face, "Soon," he said as he began to fade once more, "soon you will be mine and I will not let you go…soon." Harry fell gently to the ground, his hands healed, and on a blanket of fresh moss. It was all Tom had managed to do in his short time out of the diary.

Tom couldn't stay out of the journal very long for fear of killing Harry, but he savored that brief moment he had got to hold Harry in his arms. When Harry woke the moon was high in the sky and the diary was lying innocently in his hand. It was cold, but Harry couldn't seem to make himself move an inch.

There was a weight on him, he had almost lost it today; he had almost everything in that moment and it scared him that he didn't care one bit. It scared him that he regretted not killing every last one of them; the hunger was still there but not as unmanageable as before. For a still moment he just laid there wondering if he should get up at all, he watched the clouds roll in and cover the sky. Still, he did not move.

What was he going to do? How could he complete his goals let alone the tournament tasks when he couldn't control himself anymore? That was the question so he remained lying there, too many question, not enough answers and that need to hear someone scream itching in his veins. What was he going to do?

He could not think of an answer, he could not even bring up the will to move from where he was lying on the cold unforgiving ground. So with the lack of anything else to do Harry brought out the puzzle box from his pocket. He might as well do something while he was lying there lost in this, maybe it would help him to focus on something else for a minute.

Harry studied the box in the fading light and silently worked it out in his head. Pushing one hidden piece in a certain way he managed to activate it. The box grew hot to the touch and flew up just above his head. A light enveloped the cube as Harry heard a terrible screeching. He knew what to do right away and cast a water bubble around the box and soon the screeching became a song.

_Come seek us where our voices sound_

_We cannot sing above the ground_

_Two hours long you'll have to look_

_To discover what we took_

_We hide them in plain sight_

_And you'll despair from our flight_

_In seeking you'll never know_

_You should have looked above the glow_

_We lure you in, so you can't find_

_What it is you've left behind_

_The waters' deep holds the secret_

_We are the ones who keep it_

_The question is can you see_

_What the mirror keeps from thee_

_Two hours long you'll have to look_

_To discover what we took_

_In seeking things you have left_

_You discover the creature's theft _

_Flame hot and gold cold_

_Can you defeat the ones of old?_

It took Harry a full hour to understand and when he did he shot up in both shock and rage. Harry wasn't entirely sure what they wanted to take from him but whatever it was it would be in great danger. Harry didn't know which was worse, knowing or not knowing what was coming. He doubted anyone else could see what the task had in store for the champions of this tournament.

He took deep breaths trying to calm himself and he picked up the diary holding it tightly to his chest. No one knew of it so he was certain it would not be taken but he would cast extra protection around it anyway. He would send out some letters to his allies also, to begin prepping them for a war. He didn't know how he was going to manage himself and Harry was not all that certain he could control his _urges_ during this next task so a war was very likely.

Still the thought sent a thrill threw him, he needed it. More than he thought he did and his special project was almost done if he didn't sleep this week he could finish it he was sure. However, it also meant he would need to create a doppelganger so that he could be away without anyone noticing. Madeline might but he would just explain it to her…Harry was certain she would understand.

There was so much to do, so little time, but Harry was confident he could do it. He would do it. No one took from him, no one, and if this task was anything like he thought it was then something was sure to happen. Harry's eyes glowed in the darkness, and a sort of dead look entered them.

Harry knew some thing were certain, time was running out, so little time. Then it hit him, Time, he needed time, and in a flash he was up standing rigid. Time was easy enough to get, but could he do it all? Yes, he wouldn't even need to waste his effort on the doppelganger if it all worked out. There would be effects from it he was sure, some side effects from using something so powerful for as long as he needed it but Harry was almost certain it was worth it.

Now all that was left was to plan, to plan and prepare. A storm was coming, and Harry couldn't wait to see it break against the earth. As if to echo his thoughts the sky opened up with a roar of thunder and lightening. As he turned his face up to let the rain wash over him Harry was very nearly vibrating with it all. It was all coming together for him again, he could see his path again, and with a hiss Harry began to spark.

His power thundered with the storm above, calling out to it and with the crack of lightening Harry disappeared from the forest. His plan was underway, his pawns were falling into place, and everything that was not broken would break. His last thought before he put everything in motion that would shake the very foundations of the world was… "I think it time _Tom_ and I meet face to face."

**A.N.: Hello my lovelies!! So the song is Breath into me by Red I highly recommend listening to it while picturing what you just read it much more powerful that way! Lol So I have had some complaints about how I ask for reviews, honestly, what are writers but story tellers is it weird that they want some feed back? I feel I show tell you the only reason I'm writing this story is because I wanted to see this get done! I had looked and looked for a story like mine for a while and no one I saw really wrote it so I said one day, "Fuck it I'll write the damn thing!" I just wanted to see it done. You see I run across a lot of stories where Harry is dark but frankly really isn't. **

**I mean how many of us read those stories that start off great, dark, twisted and delicious; however somewhere along the way Harry grows a conscious and is more gray than DARK. Then there are the ones that he's (hell I'll just say it) a freaking pussy! They make the dark seem light and the light seem idiotic. I wanted a story that was demented all the way through! One where Harry finishes what he started, and is actually all around a fucked up person. So that's what I began to write as a pet project of sorts. Then it grew into this! So beware my lovely readers, its only gonna get more messed up from here on. Some people couldn't stomach what has happened before, I admit I've had some PM's that were like 'WTF' cause of how Harry handles himself. **

**Also I wanted to address some questions in this ridiculously long Author's note! Lol (Sorry about this ^_^;) Some people want to know why Harry's so bible, i.e. Muggle book, obsessed, well frankly muggles fascinate him as much as they disgust him. The bible while very, well, Muggle is also used worldwide. Harry read it once (obviously) and if you remember he was struck by the book Paradise Lost in the first chapter. The point is that Harry is consumed by 'evil' and basically wants to bring hell to earth because he cannot know heaven. He's emotionally crippled, so yeah, any other questions you guys have I'll try to PM you the answers so don't be afraid to ask! R&R! LOVE you all**

**P.S. I hope this is worth the wait!**


	16. THe Nothingness

**A.N.: Hey my lovely readers, lol, I AM NOT DEAD!! It just took me a while to get a clear picture of what I wanted to do with this chapter. As usual I had a bit of a writer's block but I worked through! Fight! Lol anyways I hope this meets everyone's expectations and was worth waiting the month or so for! **

**Chapter 16: The nothingness**

"**God made everything out of nothing, but the nothingness shows through."**

Anne glared at her reflection a bit, studying her every feature looking for any flaw and anything that clashed with what she wanted to display today. Her gleaming red hair reflected the light and she smirked noticing no faults. She had been the wallflower all through high school with her brown hair and her out of date clothes. However, no longer, with her red hair and fashion sense she was certain that her high school reunion would go good for her.

To choose to be a red head was to choose to be noticed after all and Anne desperately needed to be noticed. Smiling she plumped up her lips and strode confidently out of her house. Sadly she never made it to her car, Anne never got to show up at the reunion and no one really noticed she was gone until much later. For not a minute after Anne stepped out of her house the world went black for her and her body didn't even get the chance to hit the ground before it disappeared all together.

The woman Anne wasn't the only one mysteriously going missing, all throughout the world people were vanishing so suddenly and so many of them the world noticed. Dozens disappeared, and no one could explain it. The subtle currents of mass hysteria began to set in when every day more and more people went missing. All around the world there was a tension, something was coming, something had begun but the truly terrifying thing was no one knew what exactly was stirring.

---------------x------------

In the faded magical Castle of Hogwarts there was also something very disturbing occurring which no one could really voice or more actually they didn't want to voice it. Since the first Lesson with the Headmistress of Noctiluca the other gathered schools had been in equal parts frightened of their power and awed. After what had happened in the first lesson the Headmistress had not allowed another demonstration to take place. Mostly because Seline had noticed that there was something wrong with Harry and she could not risk another debacle like the last.

Harry had been acting strangely since the first Task and Madeline was in constant fear that at any moment he would snap under the pressure. Perhaps that was why she had not been far from his side all week but even then there were times when Harry would disappear somewhere. The Hermione girl was a curious addition to their little group and Madeline had mixed feelings about the girl.

On one hand training the girl subtly to be a loyal follower distracted Harry enough that he had not slipped from his control and killed anyone yet. However, Madeline was also very anxious for the girl because Madeline knew that if Harry should lose it for even a moment the girl would be the first to be harmed. Honestly Madeline wasn't sure what she was supposed to do as Harry's mother, should she warn the girl or let Harry harm her?

For she had no doubt that Harry was going to hurt someone soon, he needed to, and Madeline wanted so badly to help him be better. This kept her up at night, and her attention to detail suffered for it. By the end of the week she was dead on her feet and barely able to drag herself into Severus' potions lab. He was already there when she arrived and he immediately noticed something was terribly wrong with Madeline.

It worried him enough that he paused in his brewing and went right away to confronting her about it. "What is wrong?" he asked in his silky deep voice, concern subtly laced in his tone. Madeline blurrily stared up at him and just said, "nothing". Snape sneered, "Obviously not if it has tired you enough to dull that wicked tongue of yours! What is it?" For a good minute they just stared at each other, eyes locked in a heated battle but in the end Madeline was too exhausted to put much effort into it.

"I'm worried about my son," That stunned Snape enough to make him break from their staring contest. "Tristen? Surely you jest a tournament such as this would be nothing to someone as powerful as him. You have no need to be worried over it." Madeline scowled at him, a fire sparking up in her eyes, "That is not what I'm worried about! I'm confident in my son's abilities that is not what disturbs me!"

Snape raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Oh, then pray tell what has you so worked up you look like someone has been poison your drink with a sleep stopper?" Madeline was so tired and worked up she just snapped, effectively losing her brain to mouth filter, "I'm worried he's going to lose it soon, he is usually so in control of it! I don't understand at all and I have no idea if I should warn the foolish girl away or let her be the sacrificial lamb!"

At first Madeline's words made no sense to Snape, the abrupt way she said them shocking his brain into inactivity for an all of two seconds. However, when he did manage to understand them they disturbed him enough that he actually gasped, "How bad is it?" Snape asked clasping his hands behind him keep her from seeing his hands shake. This was too familiar, so much so that he didn't want to begin to think of the consequences of this conversation.

Madeline realized too late she had acted so rashly that inadvertently she had revealed far to much and she knew all she could do was trust this man. Trust him enough not to talk of this, a risk for certain. Walking to a stool Madeline sat down heavily in defeat, "You have to understand all the abuse he went through broke him in a way I could never hope to fix…there is something very dark in my son, very dark."

Their eyes connected again and Madeline was stunned to recognize something in Snape's eyes. "You went through it too?" She smiled bitterly at his startled face, "The ignorance of Muggles, right?" At his hesitant nod Madeline laughed bitterly, "It's all their fault you know? If they hadn't done it, hadn't hurt him like they had then my son would not be as he is today. Lost in a darkness so deep that all I can do is stand beside him."

She looked away, staring at a crack in the ceiling, "It's all their fault," she whispered sullenly. Snape got an eerie feeling that Madeline wasn't talking about Muggles anymore. "He was so much better before but now I'm frightened…I'm losing him…he's slipping through my fingers all the time it's like trying to grasp water." "How dangerous is he Madeline?" Hearing him say her name shocked Madeline enough she locked eyes with him again.

Smiling bitterly at him Madeline lost a bit of that fire in her eyes, "Oh, there is no one I can think of more dangerous than my son. He would never harm me on purpose but even I am not safe should he lose the battle for his little remaining sanity. He is too clever, too slick, too powerful, should he lose Severus…no one, not even your esteemed Headmaster could ever hope to stop him." Her words were like frozen lead in his stomach and the force of it made him sit down.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Madeline laughed softly and hollowly at his muttered question. "Pray he stabilizes soon, and if nothing else hope that he recognizes me if he does lose his grip on it. I am not foolish enough to believe I can stop him but I might be able to calm him enough so that some will survive…I hope…" she finished darkly. Snape didn't want to believe such a small fragile looking boy could very well be the end of his world but something in Madeline's voice made him believe it.

-----------x------------

Harry just stood there staring at the phone booth; to any passerby he just looked like he was glaring fixedly at a random object and not think any further on it. Had anyone really studied him at that moment they would find that beneath his bangs Harry's green eyes were glowing with power.

The magical wards of the Ministry of Magic were not something to sneeze at, they were strong and unlike Hogwarts they were regularly infused with new Magic. That made it very difficult for Harry and anyone really; to break in would trigger plenty of alarms and cause a great fuss. Something Harry wanted to avoid at all cost so that was why he was currently standing on a corner glaring at a phone booth trying to decipher a very intricate web of wards.

Eventually Harry began to realize there was no way he could get into the Ministry undetected and gave up trying. So he walked to the booth and told the Operator that he was 'visiting' and got a badge that said 'visitor'. After that, things went smoother for him getting past security was pathetically easy since most were Hogwarts graduates. The wards on the inside of the Ministry were thinner and less layered than the ones he had encountered outside.

Harry thought this was possibly due to the fact that they thought the hardest part was to get in, when it was really getting out. He found what he was looking for in the department of mysteries, something he found so intriguing he made a mental note to come back later to investigate the place. Leaving went smoothly, he had no trouble bending the wards just so that he could leave with his acquired item inside his pocket.

Now had he taken something more significant, Harry was sure that he would have had a harder time of it, but as it was a simple medium sized time-turner there was no difficulties. The time turner weighed down heavily in his pocket, waiting for him to put it to use. However, now that he had a means to get what he needed Harry felt a churning in his stomach, a thirst came over him and he closed his eyes to it. The hunger did not dissipate, only grew, his hands shook and when he could not stand fighting it any longer he let himself fade.

In the still of the night, people began to disappear, no one would ever find them and there screams would never reach the world from which they came. However, their cries of agony did reach one person, the beast that had come knocking at their door and into the night their screams washed over him. Harry stared down at the girl, her flaming red hair flashed like a beacon to him, and her screams were the sweetest melody to his ears. This one's cries were powerful, so breathe taking, it ran through him like an intimate caress, and it satiated his hunger a bit.

He watched with cold eyes as the girl was seemingly eaten alive, not by a beast or even by anything physical but by a black intangible mist. Her body broke apart as if by the great mauling bites of some unseen creature, the girl sobbed and screamed…begged for him to end this. Yet he simply stood over her and watched his creation do what it was made for, his eyes half lidded he took in her screams of agony with relish. When it was all done he turned from the bloodied ground to leave, all that remained of the girl was the blood on the ground he left behind.

The sun was just peaking in between the branches when Harry returned to the place where he had summoned Tom to him. He hid himself among the grasping branches of the trees and took the time turner from his pocket. Spinning it Harry got lost in the hypnotic motion and let time fall backwards all around him. When the world once more flowed forward Harry heard the heavy thud of a body falling down not to far from him.

With cold eyes and a serene face he watched the past him break and Tom emerge from his place inside the diary. Harry could not take his eyes from Tom's face; it was why he was here in the past, because he needed to be sure. His stomach plummeted when he realized that his memory had not been false, and Harry could not understand the how in finally knowing where the future Tom dwelled, he wished he had remained ignorant.

Still, there were questions he needed answers to and so he turned his sight away from Tom, his beloved. Calling out to Tink using their bond Harry summoned the tiny creature to him. When she appeared before him, glowing a blue green light Harry held up his hand so that she could rest there. The tiny creature was twinkling happily at him, reporting what she had seen around the school, on what she found about Tom Riddle and various other little things she had observed.

"Very good Tink, you've done well," Tink waltzed around his hand hips swaying in smug satisfaction from a job well done, "Now in need you to be very careful with your next assignment Tink." Tink smiled and chimed a bit with her agreement, "I need you to shadow the Hogwarts Headmaster, report anything of consequence to me. However, take care to remained unnoticed by the old fool and his silly bird." Tink scowled at the mention of the phoenix, as a water-based creature it was in her nature to hate the fire-born bird.

When Harry could no longer see the glow from Tink in the distance he turned from the forest and was once more gone before anyone even realized he was hidden there. He left his past self, lying in the field knowing there was nothing he could do about it now. There was one more thing he needed to take care of before he moved on with his plans, just one last thing he needed to confirm.

-------------x-------------

The room was dark, only the faint light of his enchanted candle cast a dim illumination that was enough to read by. His hands shook as he reread the passage in the ancient looking book before him, and he felt bile rising up in his throat as he read. It wasn't fair, this shouldn't have happened, it shouldn't be true but as he read more into this demented art of splitting one's soul Harry could only see the truth of it.

Harry knew Tom enough to know he would not of hesitated to do such a thing to himself, hadn't Tom told him to search for a way to gain immortality? Didn't Harry know that at the core of everything Tom hated the thought of dying so deeply he would do anything to stay death's hand? Harry knew all this and yet when faced with the truth of what Tom had done to himself, all he could feel is loneliness because even though he could feel Tom's dairy against his chest Harry was a world away from him.

There was no Tom out there in the world that knew of him, no Tom that had a body he could touch and feel. There was no one waiting out there for him to come and find him like a childish game. Though Harry couldn't take it in, how many had Tom made? How many times had he cut up himself so that he could live on long past his time? There was a painful restriction in his heart when he thought of something else…were they protected enough?

If he had figured out how Tom, or Lord Voldemort, had cheated death…then who else knew? Were the protections Tom had placed on them good enough? What if someone like Dumbledore knew, with his power would he be able to get past those protections? Shaking Harry cut his hand and wiped his bloody hand on his forehead. The warm crimson liquid slowly dripped into his eyes as he bathed his forehead in his own blood.

After he was sure he had coated it enough he healed his hand and gently brought it back up to trace with shaking fingers his lightening bolt scar. Harry felt disgusted with himself, he should have figured it out earlier, and he should have felt that piece of Tom in him before now. However, now that he was aware of it Harry could feel in inside of him, pulsing with the beat of his heart, it had become such a part of him Harry doubted it could ever be torn from him now.

It was as much a part of him now as his own soul, and now that he was conscious of its presence he could use it for an advantage. With narrowed eyes, blood slowly dripping down his face Harry knew what he had to do. He tasted the copper flavor of his blood as his mouth opened as he panted; his heart was racing pounding in his ears. The candle beside him flickered and went out.

------------x------------

Leon glanced around the room curiously before turning back to the scroll in his hand, studying it like it had the answers to the world within. His mark burned, urging him to open the letter from his lord and he did so with just a bit of worry, wondering what in the world the Prince could want of all of them. "Does everyone feel that?" Ophelia asked as she clutched at the place her Mark lay. Grimacing in pain the others nodded, all feeling that same burn, "It goes away once you open and read what our Prince has sent," Leon said as if to give an excuse.

The rustling of paper could be heard as everyone quickly began to read their orders; they were the elite, hand picked by their Prince to help him reach his goals. There was a sense of loyalty here, no one seemed to give a second thought to the pain they had felt from the Mark as if they had already accepted it as necessary. "Mine says…" Cleo began before her mouth seemed to trip over her words and the scroll disintegrated in her hands.

"It would seem that our missions are to be secrets, even from one another," Gabriel said calmly as his eyes swept along their faces. "Huh, well, I guess he has a reason for it," Logan said gruffly, "After all he wouldn't want his enemies to know all the little parts of his plan if they managed to capture one of us." The twins nodded and said in unison, "This way no one but our Prince can know the whole picture until the end." "Its brilliant really," Alex murmured, "but it's also somewhat unnerving."

"Couldn't agree more," Simon said a bit dully, "But we have chosen the path, all that is left for us to do is walk it. I will never leave his side, even if it kills me…" With surprisingly sharp eyes Cleo voiced her agreement, "Yes, I whole heartedly agree. I don't mind standing beside him in this darkness even if he cannot see or feel me beside him…I will be there. I will not leave him to suffer alone." Leon's hands clenched at his sides, "Neither will I, I would see the world burn first."

Every eye locked together and a silent passion was simmering beneath their silence. Each one of them looked into the others eyes and saw a reflection of themselves staring back at them. This was belonging, this was what Harry had given them, something that they could belong to and belonged to them. This was something that they could never escape, something that would guarantee that never again would they feel the cold emptiness of loneliness. All of them had a story, a reason, a purpose; all of them knew that if it came down to it they would give up their lives willingly for him.

Most would never, could never, understand their reasons or understand why they were so devoted to Harry. It was something very unexplainable, words could not do it justice; they had no definite emotion to pin on it. It just was, and oddly enough they were content in that. This was not something that grows in a day, a month, even a year, it takes time to take root and grow into this. Whatever it was, call it loyalty, call it love, or call it devotion, it was not going away.

That indescribable thing could be seen in those tiny moments, those flashes of feeling, that silent presence of Harry, or Tristen, or their Prince. It was in his jaded eyes, in his broken words, in his scarred body, in his kind manner, it was in everything that Harry was and ever will be. Words are too shallow to even begin to convey what they felt in that moment that their eyes met and their hearts linked as one. They would not abandon him to the darkness, no matter what he did to them or what happened, they would never leave him…could never leave him. …Even if they had wanted to.

----------------x-------------

The night was quiet, peaceful almost and he enjoyed it this way. There was nothing to do, his work was finished for the day, his followers had their assignments and he liked using this time to simply be alone. Red eyes flashed as the gazed out the window, wondering, scheming, thinking and contemplating. What was the difference between good and evil? How had Dumbledore put it again? Oh, yes, choosing to do what is easy and what is right? Something like that.

Voldemort didn't think it was so simple; nothing was that straightforward in this world. Evil? What was evil? What defined it? What was good? None of the silly titles that people adored using matter much to him. When it came down to it Voldemort didn't there was such a thing as evil, only power, only those who had the strength to fight for it. Power. That was all that mattered to him, not good, not evil, just power. Turning from his window Voldemort looked at his shadowed room and thought about the Winter boy.

Power mattered a great deal to him, and that boy Tristen had a lot of power. The boy reminded him so much of himself…and yet the boy was also so very different. Voldemort wondered about him, thought of him constantly, and truthfully he couldn't really understand why he was so obsessed with the boy. His hands clenched at his sides, no, not just obsessed but also possessive. The thought of anyone capturing the boy's attention besides himself had Voldemort angrier than was wise. He didn't like that he felt this why, and especially he hated that he had no real idea why.

Only two meetings, two meetings! Yet whenever he had an idle moment Voldemort inevitably thought of him, of his power, of his cold emerald eyes and his soft voice. Then as if his thoughts had summoned the boy to him, there he was, emerging from the shadows of his room like a ghost in the night. Greedily, Voldemort took in his face, too distracted by his presence to even begin to wonder how he had found him let alone gotten past his wards.

However, after a second Voldemort knew something was very wrong. The boy, his face, it wasn't as serene and calm as he had become accustomed to seeing. Tristen had a wild look in his eye, and there was a faint frown on his lips. "Why have you done this?" His voice was haunting and accusing, it stunned him into silence. "Why have you done this to yourself!" The boy started to walk then, slipping in and out of the shadows in his room like a predator stalking his prey. "Done what?" Voldemort said, slightly confused about the boy's behavior.

"You've taken him from me!" Tristen hissed, circling him closer and closer. "Taken who?" Confusion and anger had begun to creep into his voice. His green eyes glowed eerily, piercing him through and pinning him to his spot on the floor, freezing him into inaction. "Why did you do this?" Tristen said coldly. The boy was standing so close to him they were almost touching, his glowing emerald eyes glaring into his own crimson ones.

"You'll never be him as you are now," Tristen said and Voldemort watched his face crumble…it disturbed him more than he could phantom. His smaller hands gripped Voldemort's shirt forcing him to bend down to Tristen's level. "Can't you see I need him?" Tristen whispered brokenly, "Why have you done this! Why! You'll never be him now! You don't remember me, you don't know me!" His fierce green eyes seemed to blaze at that, "You should know me! You should be here before me now, but you're broken!" Confusion and outrage ran through Voldemort, eventually outrage won out.

He knocked the smaller male's hands from him and drew back, "Who are you to say I'm broken!" he hissed at the boy enraged. This only seemed to fuel the other on; Tristen face contorted, feverish, crazed, he shouted, "I'll make you know me!" Before Voldemort could move against him Tristen hissed out, "Astrictus", Voldemort felt his body stiffen with invisible bindings. Seething inside he could do nothing as Tristen circled him, and he hated it.

"It is not fair you know, to have finally found you only to know you don't know me," Tristen was murmuring incoherently as he began to circled him again as a predator would a wounded prey. Voldemort continued to try to keep him in his sight, which was hard since half the time the boy was behind him. In the dim lighting he could see Tristen twirling what appeared to be an odd-looking paintbrush in his hands. "I'll fix it, you'll remember me when its done, and you'll eventually see it had to be done. You'll understand, just like always, it's for the best," he was talking to himself in low tones and Voldemort became increasingly worried at the boy's mental health.

When the glowing emerald eyes of his capture met his own crimson ones again it was like someone had gripped his inside with a freeze fist. Those eyes, they spoke so loudly of a broken mind and they were as shards of glass…piercing him with their biting edge. "This will hurt," Tristen said in low tones as he approached him, "please scream", he said as he caressed Voldemort's face words spoken as if to a lover. "I wont think less of you, please scream for me," his lips brushed against his frozen body's throat, "I'll only hurt you this once, it has to be done, you'll understand when its over." Tristen's broken eyes stared up at him as he ran his hand down Voldemort's chest gently, his action belying his words.

Tristen drew back and withdrew a book from his breast pocket, Voldemort tried to see it clearly but the light and his condition made his efforts futile. His body was tense, his mind was in a whirlwind of thoughts, all focused on escaping Tristen's spell, but nothing he did seemed to be able to counteract his bindings. He watched in a sort of abstract fascination as Tristen painted something onto the mysterious books cover, tensing only when the boy came towards him again.

"Exui" Tristen murmured while scowling at Voldemort's shirt, the cool night air bit at him as his shirt vanished from his back exposing him to the boy's eyes. However, that didn't disturb him nearly as much as when Tristen began to paint a strange symbol onto his chest with cold ink that felt very unpleasant. When he had finished Tristen drew back to study his work seemingly satisfied he began to draw up his magic. Voldemort could practically taste the boy's power in the air, he could see it glowing under his skin and sparkling in his eyes. Dread filled him, his power matched his own, it might even surpass it given enough time and too late Voldemort realized this _boy_ was more a threat to him than even Dumbledore.

For all his meddling Dumbledore was, and always will be something of a pacifist. Dumbledore hadn't the stomach to do what was needed to be done to defeat him; after all even killing him would not keep him down forever. That is why Voldemort had been so sure he would win this time around, after all the light's 'savior' was missing and without that prophecy's child they would not stand a chance. However, Voldemort had over looked the boy, this powerful, broken boy did not have the same qualms the foolish old coot did. Just by seeing him now, half-crazed, and out of his mind Voldemort knew this boy would not hesitate, would not stop.

Tristen's power was heavy in the air when he placed a slightly glowing hand on the book's cover, "Spiritus Apocatastasis, Solvo", his voice echoed in the room; it overlapped and was hauntingly filled with magic. Voldemort could not dwell long on Tristen's voice. For not a moment after Tristen had spoken the symbol on his chest and on the book began to burn with a bright light blinding him. After that all he knew was _**pain**_.

-----------------x-----------------

Severus sneered as his eternal enemy, James Potter, blathered on about the Winter boy and he was 'a god-damned menace'. It had been like this ever since that damnable first lesson of the Noctiluca Academy; every Order meeting seemed to circle around Voldemort, Headmistress Seline, or the Winter boy. Dumbeldore, of course, had been playing master manipulator since the incident hoping to discover the secret behind such a powerful way to cast magic. However, Seline had not been very forthcoming with any trade secrets on the subject.

"Severus, my boy, have you discovered anything useful from the time you've spent with the girl, Madeline?" his eyes were twinkling full blast. Severus knew his game of course and watched Sirius' hands clench at his sides, sometimes Severus was almost certain the old coot did this on purpose. It was as if he likes making his life miserable. Now, he knew that Dumbledore didn't really expect him to find out anything useful from his fellow Potion Master. So he was somewhat smug to actually have found out something from Madeline.

However, just as he was about to speak and tell Dumbledore about what Madeline had told him of the boy's increasingly deteriorating sanity, Madeline's voice echoed in his head. _'You went through it too?'…'The ignorance of Muggles'._ Severus found he didn't have it in him to betray Madeline's trust in him, moreover, none of them would understand. His eyes swept over the gathered people as he thought his choices over. They could never understand what it is like to suffer under the hands of someone lesser than you, to be so helpless and yet so powerful at the same time.

They never had to go to bed hungry, or feel the aches of a beating. They could never know what it feels like knowing that one well-spoken spell could stop your tormentors but fearing the consequences of doing so. They would never know what it was like and so they could not understand the kinship he felt to Madeline, to the boy he had never even spoken to. So with his usual velvety sarcastic voice he replied, "Oh yes because a Potion Mistress is so well informed about the going ons of the world. Albus, you really should stop eating those lemon drops they seemed to have rotted your brain along with your teeth." The gathered people were outraged at him because of this, while Dumbledore just kept smiling with his twice-damned twinkling eyes.

--------------x--------------

Harry watched his love writhe on the ground, he did not scream but his face was contorted in pain. His mouth was open but no sound past his lips. He did not like this, hurting him was painful to Harry and he was on his knees before his love just watching him suffer. "It had to be done my love," he whispered crawling to where Voldemort was thrashing on the floor. At the sound of Harry's voice Voldemort's glaring eyes connected with the boy beside him. "Don't look at me like that, you'll understand when its over." Harry soothed as he watched Voldemort's eyes go from bloody red to a deep blue and back.

The sight of his flickering eye color sent a thrill through Harry, and he crawled closer to him resting a gentle hand on his beloved's chest. "Yes, that's it. Give him back to me," his voice was low and coaxing. Voldemort arched up in pain, gasping, the symbol on his chest sizzled as if it was trying to burn its way into him. The book, his old dairy, laid not two feet from him also felt the burn of the symbol etched onto it. The edges began to blacken, and his spasms became more pronounced.

All the while Harry watched with glowing green eyes as his spell got to work, "I had to fix what was broken, you see." He whispered into Voldemort's ear, "I could never be satisfied with just a piece of you Tom, you know that." Harry ran a light hand over Voldemort's cheek as his other hand pushed down on his chest to keep him from moving away. "You are _**mine**_," he said forcefully, "and I was always yours." Sad broken eyes stared into the flickering orbs of Voldemort, "Always yours my love, my heart is too small and broken to have anyone else."

The book began to crumble, blackening as it did, until all that was left was the glowing symbol in the air the twin to the one on Voldemort's chest. The ashes from the book invaded Voldemort's eyes, mouth, and nose making it impossible to breathe. Frantically he tried to move his arms to grasp at his throat but his limps felt as if they were made of lead. Just when Voldemort thought he would suffocate the last of the dairy's ashes entered him and then the symbol met its twin on his chest.

That is when the pain became so much that he had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming out, blood pooled in his mouth as he did so. Then Voldemort became very still, and soon fell unconscious. Harry lay there beside him, staring intently at his face and barely making a sound. It was very unsatisfying hurting him, he hadn't screamed once, and Harry found that very frustrating. Though he loved Tom as much as he could with his crippled heart that didn't mean he had grown past enjoying inflicting pain on others. Tom had not screamed, Harry's hand clenched at his sides, and it made Harry _**want**_ to hurt him again.

"Why didn't you scream Tom?" Harry whispered sullenly to him. He scooted closer to him and slowly wiped the blood from Tom's mouth. Without quite realizing what he was going Harry licked the blood from his fingers, the flavor of copper and spice hit his tongue. His actions confused him, Harry wasn't sure what was happening to him, he didn't like this and he felt uncomfortable with how close he was to hurting his beloved again. After all he had promised that he would hurt Tom just this once.

Still, he had wanted to hear him scream. Shakily Harry sat up and moved Tom's head to his lap, and began to run his nimble fingers through Tom's hair. "I don't want to want to hurt you," Harry murmured sincerely, "You know that right?" It was true; he hadn't wanted to desire to hurt his beloved. There was a monster in him, it lusted for blood and destruction nothing else. Then there was the little left in him that still had the capacity to feel, to love, and that part of him wanted to never leave Tom's side again.

Harry tensed when he felt Tom shift in his lap, and he turned his attention to Tom's face waiting for him to awaken. Tom's eyes flickered open, a deep blue, his hand shot out to grab Harry hand that was carding through his hair. "Well, that was unpleasant," Tom said, as his eyes flickered back to a deep bloody red. That made Harry tense, before he relaxed, "You can hurt me back if you want," his tone was bland and accepting.

Voldemort stared at him, just quietly studying his face, the memories from his journal still fresh and running through his mind. Also there was something else he had gained from his diary, a deep burning possessive love for this child. He began to think if it had been him, if Harry hadn't known him, what would he have done if he couldn't touch him and he found his answer. For the first time in his life Voldemort found it in him the will to forgive. He forgave Harry, Voldemort realized, before he even knew what was going on.

Slowly he raised his heavy hand to caress Harry's cheek, a part of him reveling in the ability to do so, and just stared into jaded green eyes. Before Harry knew what was going on their positions had been reversed, he was lying on his back with Voldemort hovering above him pinning him down. He made no move to get up or defend himself, silently awaiting his punishment for hurting him. What happened next stunned and confused him. Instead of lashing out against him Voldemort's lips came crashing down on his own. The kiss was fiery, possessive, passionate and demanding. It took only a moment for Harry to respond to the kiss, this only seemed to push Voldemort on and the kiss became consuming.

Voldemort nipped at his lips demanding access, Harry granted it easily enough and soon a dominating tongue began to trace his mouth. Harry didn't know what it was he was feeling, but it was like the missing part of him had been found. In this he found a peace, he forgot the world, he forgot his dark need and gave into another unexplored need. Lying there, being thoroughly kissed Harry found he felt contentment and happiness. Harry lost himself in Voldemort, drowned in him, gave himself up entirely just so that he could abandon the world for that brief moment.

As he did so Harry thought, 'My joy, my sorrow, my pain, my entire life…I'll forsake everything I am, to live only for you,' not that he would ever tell Voldemort such things. When Voldemort finally pulled away from him Harry looked thoroughly ravaged, "I could never hurt you Harry, you are precious to me in way I do not fully understand." Harry for his part just laid there for a bit, silently enjoying the feeling of floating while it lasted, "That makes two of us then, I will never understand what I feel for you."

Somehow that seemed to snap Harry out of his daze and he got up to face Voldemort. "I knew you would understand, now that I have restored you I must go before I am missed," He faded away before Tom could move to stop him. Voldemort clutched at his head as it spiked with pain, his eyes turning blue for a second before they returned to his usual crimson color. Inside, he was seething, he was confused as to why he had just let the boy go and also why he didn't feel like tearing him apart for what he had done. Love, Voldemort decided, was a very inconvenient and perplexing thing.

----------------x---------------

Leon scowled at the owl, a most tiresome way to communicate. It would take at least four days for his message to reach home and then another four before he could get a reply. Still, he knew it would not take more than six messages before his clan was ready to do as his prince bid. After all the benefits if they succeed were too tempting for them not to want to join in on this, plus, his was a warring clan they would join just for the pleasure of fighting. It has been to long, Leon decided, since his people had seen the glory of war.

Gabriel bit his lip and looked on in envy at Leon. He would not have as much trouble as Gabriel would in seeking aid from his people; they were peaceful to a fault. Though he did not know what the Prince had asked of Leon, he could guess, and Gabriel was a bit jealous that Leon would be able to succeed so easily. Turning to his own carrier animal, a Vixi by the name of Starshine (his mother's), he consoled himself that at least his message would be arriving faster than Leon's. It wouldn't be too hard, Gabriel decided, to convince them to provided the things prince wanted. His people were natural healers and in the end they would not be able to ignore his call.

The others were already in the process of sending their messages as well; Flora and Fauna had already sent their letter to their mother. Logan was relaying his messages to his pack through another wolf, he had more than one and everyone was curious as to why though they knew better than to ask. Cleo was contacting her father through her bank. Ophelia and Alex didn't have any messages to send only mysterious packages. Whatever his plan was the Prince's elite had already set it in motion.

---------------x--------------

As he stared at the orb in his hands, the thing he had been working toward his entire life was right here in his hands and yet there was no satisfaction in it. The walls of his room seemed to close in on him. Harry had never felt so empty before…so lonely. His hand automatically went to his breast pocket where Tom's Diary no longer laid and a pain shot through his heart. It had been so long since he had been truly alone, usually when he felt like this he would write to Tom but he was no longer here.

There was a bittersweet feeling here now, choking his heart, Tom was out there in the real world waiting for him and Harry felt awe over that. However, now he could not talk to him whenever the mood struck. He could not tell him his secret in the dead of night, could not feel him and it made him feel so alone. More than ever before. Harry turned his focus on the crystal orb in his hand desperately searching for a distraction from his pain.

The orb looked very much like a remembrall with only a few differences, for one the smoke filling it was black and it never went away. The main difference though was that the orb in his hand was nowhere near as benevolent as a puny little remembrall. This orb in his hand along with the others he had made would bring his deepest darkest wish into reality. Harry focused on that, this little orb in his hand was going to do so much to further his goals.

Now all he needed to do was wait, for the right time to strike, when the entire world is looking elsewhere he would act. They would never know what hit them before it was too late to stop him. His grip tightened around the orb, all that was left was two more tasks and then the first stage of his plans could begin. It was lucky they had entered his tournament; it brought him much closer to the target. In a few more days he would compete in the second task and though he was confident in his abilities Harry was also cautious.

With the use of the time turner he was getting a lot of things done, and that was the important thing. Suzie was being handle well, along with all of her little 'friends' and his elites were managing their tasks beautifully. Madeline was keeping him updated on the Ministry front and she had also begun talks with the Potions Guild. They were going to need a lot of potions in this war, and they needed more funding for their research, which would be provided when there was a victory.

The gargoyles would be ready to mobilize in a week time to begin night raids to key targets. His 'Medusa' was currently rallying the gorgons to his side; they would be excellent in the front lines. Harry knew Tom was already in talks with the giants, so that was something he didn't have to deal with and he considered that a burden off his shoulders. One of the marked students back at school was handling the gathering of the troll forces, Harry was glad he had him at his disposal.

In all they would be more than ready when the time came to take Britain, and from there it shouldn't be too hard to capture the rest. Though he admitted that the rest would probably put up more of a challenge then Britain did because they would be more prepared for the attack. But such were the burdens of war. Harry felt a thrill go through him when he thought of finally being able to begin the purge of this world. The Muggles would not know what hit them before it was too late to do anything but bend to his will.

Harry did think that the vile creatures' nuclear weapons were going to be a problem but he would take care of that himself before he released his orbs. Muggle fire arms shouldn't put up too much of a problem once his orbs got to work and Harry estimated that the muggles would probably only last about a month at the most after he moved against them. Still, that was a ways off. Voldemort had yet to make his move against the light and Harry knew he couldn't incite his plans until that happened.

The magical world needed to be focused on the war, there attention focused solely on that and nothing else. That was why he was lending Voldemort so much support; if his beloved had enough momentum to start taking on the world no one would pay him much mind. The Magical community would be too worried about defending against this Dark Lord to notice the goings on of the non-magical side of things. It would give him just long enough to finish those lowly things off before anyone magical could champion for them.

However, Harry was cautious to a fault. As the old saying goes, 'People Plan, God Laughs', he knew that there was no certainty in any of these things. Even the best-laid plans go awry and so he had many put many back ups in place should anything fail. Then he thought of the alliances he had made, and the conditions they came with…. It really was a shame that vampires wanted to feed off the humans, he couldn't kill them all because of that. Still, he would have to content himself with the fact that they would be little more than food.

--------------------x----------------

Seline pursed her lips, she was tired, and this was a relatively new experience for her. It has been so many years since she last felt this magically drained that she had forgotten the feeling. Using her magic to lessen the blow of the 'incident' with Harry making the entire student body dance against their will had worn her out. It had taken her a good two hours to make them forget how horrible the ordeal really was and treat it as an impressive show a power.

Now everyone just thought Harry was a very powerful wizard, and she wanted to keep it that way. Without her intervention Seline was sure Dumbledore would have done something to Harry, just so he could 'redeem' him and keep him under his thumb. It had been hard manipulating so many minds to make the event seem dim, not frightening, and relatively unimportant. She was sure it was worth her effort though, positive, no matter what anyone thought of him Harry really was such a sweet boy.

He was her way out of the shadows, her path to glory; soon no one will doubt that Noctiluca is the finest Magical school in the entire world. Then maybe they could get their numbers up. The Academy needed more students…badly…otherwise the castle would dim and there would be no more Noctiluca. Already Seline was seeing the signs that this generation might be the schools' last.

Every year the number of potential candidates lessens, more and more fail to make it past their fifth year. Harry's year was the exception not the rule; his year was unusually gifted and dedicated. They needed more students to keep their school running, it would break her heart if they had to shut it down. That was why she was the first Headmaster to ever break with tradition and step from the shadows and into the light. She would bring this school up, give it new life, and then when they were thriving once more everyone would understand that she had done what was necessary.

When she made it down to the Great Hall the morning of the second Task she felt the excitement drumming in the air, everyone was anticipating this one. Harry was close behind her, his dark presence made her nervous to have him at her back but none of this showed on her face. Seline made it to the Head table calmly taking her seat a little ways from Albus, much to her displeasure.

"AH, Seline, your looking well this morning!" Seline just barely managed to keep from sneering in disgust at the old fool. "Well, yes, I was able to rest easy last night knowing how soundly your school will be defeated his morning Albus." Albus chuckled, "I find that my students are full of surprises Seline, I daresay they will show you that today." Seline sent a patronizing smile at him, "Oh, I'm sure they will."

Snape sighed inwardly as the two Headmasters went at each other again this morning. Sure their tone was polite and smiles were warm; however, anyone within hearing distance knew they were hurling insults at each other left and right. Every morning was the same; Albus and Seline would throw insults at each other deftly making it look to any outsider like a pleasant conversation. Then while all this was going on Albus would proceed to eat everything on his plate while Seline ate nothing, silently insulting the food provided.

Never had Severus been so painfully aware that Albus had grown up as any other pureblood had and Albus had been trained as one also. Purebloods for all their posturing very rarely did anything to their enemies, they were more inclined to skillfully insult them then harm them in any way. All this boiled down to was that Severus got a very bad migraine and would have to excuse himself early. Albus hated this Seline woman; to have reverted back to his boyhood training there was no other explanation.

This also gave Severus a sinking feeling; Dumbledore wasn't really a man of action and if the worst should happen Severus was nervous about how he would handle it. Severus wondered why everyone put so much faith in the man to stand up for the light. Really. It was like everyone had forgotten that it had taken Albus a critical amount of time to work up the nerve to duel the Last Dark Lord. And then he hadn't even killed the bastard, just locked him away…foolishness.

Maybe it was just his years of dwelling on the edge of darkness that had influenced his instincts but Severus would not leave an enemy at his back. When Severus dueled his enemies he aimed to kill, so that his opponent cannot come back to kill him in his sleep another day. The bickering coming from the other end of the table was driving him daft, and to save his sanity he focused his thoughts on something more pleasant (more accurately someone).

She was sitting at the Hufflepuff table currently, next to her adopted son, and her kind smile this morning was a good distraction for him. Madeline was younger than him, but her mind more than made up for the age difference. She was so bright, so quick witted and she had a venomous tongue when provoked. Something Severus found very attractive, unlike much of the wizarding population Severus liked a strong woman. Someone who wasn't afraid to tear into you when they thought you were wrong, and one that wasn't shy about voicing her opinions.

Madeline was like, but she also had such tenderness in her. Oh, Severus knew she tried to hide it behind a hard exterior but his years of reading people had helped him see through that quickly. He felt such a connection to her, and it was staggering for him to think that she occupied his thoughts more often than not. His eyes hardened and swept over to glare at another whom he knew was paying Madeline attention, Sirius Black, his childhood nemesis.

Black didn't deserve her, just like Potter had not deserved to win Lilly. If he hadn't been so foolish, blinded by his hatred he would have won Lilly but he was older and wiser now. He would not lose to them again. Black was a playboy and he was a pompous bastard…Severus refused to loose to _that_. Severus smirked when he thought of how Madeline had taken to the 'Black Charm' not to long ago. Madeline was smart enough to see through that moronic fool, and she had clearly picked him that time. It gave him hope that this time he might actually get the girl.

The tension in the air rose, as the champions were lead away to where they were to compete while the rest followed the Professors to the viewing stands. Snape was among them, guiding his House and making sure they kept up the composure expected of them. Though he did sneak sidelong glances at Madeline when he could as she was guiding her own group not to far from him.

-----------------x---------------

The water's surface was placid now, and somehow it only made it seem that much more dangerous. Harry was no fool, there was more than one thing living in there and he was not anticipating running into too much resistance. The other champions were shifting nervously beside him. Harry thought they probably knew there was going to be more than one opponent down in those murky depths. Still, his face was serene and his body relaxed…Harry was confident in his ability to survive.

Kairi was in the process of casting the bubble-headed charm, Victor was gulping down a potion, Percy was swallowing something that looked like Gillyweed and Harry thought they were well prepared. Harry was the only one remaining that had not gone about preparing to breathe underwater as of yet. The booming of the cannon sent the other three into the water.

All eyes turned to him as he simply stepped off their platform on the water and began to walk. Strolling deftly across the water's surface ripples radiating outwards as he steps disturbed the water along the top. The Noctiluca students stood in silent amusement watching him make his way to the center of the lake were Harry felt the largest pool of magic. The students of the other schools were speechless; at first, then a big murmur went through the crowd as everyone got over the shock of seeing him walk on water.

Harry watched the water, feeling the cold soak into his bare feet, and he was using that to keep him grounded. His loose pants swished around his legs as he walked and he found a rhythm in it he appreciated. The loose black pants and matching green tunic like shirt had been a gift from Madeline, the fabric had been soaked in one of her special potions. It would allow him to treat water as if it was air as soon as he transfigured himself some gills Harry would be able to enter the water easily.

Lifting his hand Harry traced his finger along the back of his ear, gills sprouting discretely, and as soon as he made it to the center of the lake he let gravity work its magic. To everyone else it was like Harry had vanished, one moment he was walking on the lake the next he was gone. A truly elegant entrance that had Madeline puffing up a bit in pride. Falling through water was like floating on air, a novel experience for Harry.

He closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling with his hair floating up around him like a halo. When he felt the cool sandy bottom of the lake met his feet Harry opened his eyes. Nearby he could hear the sweet tones of the Mermaids, singing alluringly to entice them to come to them. He walked that way simply because he knew it was there he would find some clue as to where he should really be searching. He pasted through a kelp field and then he was in the Mermaid's underwater city, just on the outskirts.

At the center he could see four chained figures floating, Suzie, Hermione, a girl he didn't recognize and a small child that was obviously related to Kairi. However, Harry didn't immediately head to where the 'captives' were instead he studied this scene. After a moment he realized what was stopping him from taking action to free Suzie, he couldn't feel her magic, his girl wasn't the real Suzie it was just a reflected illusion of her. She was being held somewhere else and this was merely a staged scene to keep him from finding the true captive.

Narrowing his eyes Harry quietly reviewed the clue from the puzzle box, and immediately he started to look for something glowing. Then he noticed that the edges of the buildings were glowing faintly, he walked around this underwater city for a bit trying to find some clue to Suzie's location. He had to rescue her soon; the longer this went on the more control he lost on himself. Just the thought of Suzie down here, chained, waiting for him to come to her disturbed him.

Harry had a hard time even explaining it fully in his mind, Suzie, what she meant to him. Suzie was everything he wasn't innocent, loving, caring, gentle, Suzie was everything he could never hope to be. That was why he cared so much thinking of her in pain. Suzie lived for him, loved for him, and like the muggles who screamed for him Suzie did something he could not do himself. She was innocence. She was his purity.

Finally he found a place that didn't have the glow, it looked like a shack, and when he opened the ratty looking door all he saw was stairs. Scuffing Harry thought it was a bit ironic, 'above' would certainly mean something different to a Mermaid than a human. Nonetheless he took the stairs steadily descending deeper into the lake. At the end of the stairs there was a wide circular passage he followed until he reached the place that froze his movements for a bit.

The cavern was big; bigger than he thought it should be naturally so Harry knew Magic was involved somehow. That wasn't what stilled his movements though. Inside the cavern was piles upon piles of treasure and curled around that treasure was a rather aggressive looking sea Serpent. Harry understood now, the people in charge of the tournament must have connected the shack in the lake to a cavern in the sea somewhere. It wouldn't be too hard, and when he saw the floating figures in the center of the Serpent's coils Harry couldn't help but wonder how they had managed to put them there.

The glint of gold form their chains told him that the Serpent was no going to be very willing to let his captives go. Sea Serpents were worse then dragons when it came to hoarding treasures. It was amusing to think of really, the moment the Sea Serpents saw something shiny and desirable they attacked to obtain it. Which was why they had gotten so notorious during the Middle Ages when the use of ships was the common way to travel.

Still, there was one thing the Tournament people didn't know that certainly put Harry at the greatest advantage during this task. Harry was a parseltongue, and thanks to Morgan's training handling a Sea Serpent would not be so challenging for him. However, getting the thing to give up some of its 'hoard' would take a lot of power on his part. He stayed in the shadow of the passageway gathering his magic for his assault, his guess was the Serpent wouldn't be able to notice him until he passed the 'border' and entered the cavern.

Channeling a good portion into his throat was considerable easier due to the fact he had practiced doing so countless time when he was singing. When he felt he was ready Harry stepped out from the passageway, immediately the Serpent moved to strike. Eyes glowing an eerie emerald he hissed, _**"Stop."**_ There was a flicker of confusion in the Serpent's demeanor as he immediately moved to do so. No Serpent or reptile for that matter could disobey him when he had this much magic behind his Parseltongue. _**"Don't Move. Don't attack. Let me leave with what I came for and then you may continue with your business." **_

Calmly and confidently Harry moved towards Suzie, the Serpent hissed his annoyance at having to let him but he did not move to do anything to him. He melted the chain links holding Suzie down and then cast a silent spell to levitate her beside him. Turning he faced the other captives, Hermione, the Hogwarts student and the Kairi's relative. Vaguely he wondered what he was supposed to do with them because he wasn't sure if Suzie would forgive him for leaving them behind.

Shrugging Harry melted their links also and levitated them beside Suzie before head back to the passageway. He was slightly disappointed he hadn't gotten the chance to harm anything but Harry thought that might be for the best considering how his control continued to slip away from him. At the entrance of the shack he was mildly taken off guard to see the Weasley boy about to enter. The boy went to retrieve the Hogwarts girl and Harry didn't really care letting him take her easily enough.

The three remaining with him began to rise as he did, up and out of the water as quickly as he had entered it. Like jumping through air, their bodies met no resistance. When Harry broke the surface the applause and roaring of the crowd reached his ears. The three he had rescued were waking as he levitated them onto the platform where he saw the illusions that Viktor and Kairi had saved were fading. Weasley came up not to long after with the other girl.

Harry didn't pay them much mind choosing instead to head to his rooms not even bothering to even pretend to listen to his scores. It was clear he was the winner, as he was the first to bring back the real captives but Harry wasn't sure how it would turn out with the old coot as a judge. Not that he cared much anyway; the tournament was nothing but a distraction for the light anyway. No one bothered him on the way to his room and he made there relatively undisturbed. Once there he showered off, dried himself and dressed quickly.

Using the time turner he went back in time so that his absence would not be noticed before he made his way to the Forbidden Forest. The trees seemed to embrace him now, welcoming him were before they had a hostile energy. Harry let his feet carry him to his own little 'oasis' in this dying forest, the one he had made not to long ago. All the while his thoughts were consumed with his loneliness and his plans. He felt unsteady; as if he could break a part at any given moment, he hated that he was so far from Tom now.

Harry was half expecting him to be there already when he sat down in his little meadow but instead he made it in time to watch him emerge from the shadows. The wide grin was doing wonders to show off Alucard's long fangs but Harry remained unperturbed simply baring his neck to the hungry vampire. His long pointed tongue dashed out as he licked his lips and knelled down to bite into him. Harry remained impassive, for some reason the sensation didn't sway him that much anymore. After the heated kiss he had received from Tom this sensation paled in comparison.

Alucard suckled at his neck, embracing him tightly, trying in vain to get some sort of reaction from him. Harry couldn't bring himself to do so though, not with Tom on his mind, not with knowing that this was pathetic compared to how Tom made him feel. When Tom had kissed him it was like his world had fallen away, all there was had been Tom and him. He had felt like the part of him that had been missing had finally come to him, he had felt like he was floating.

Before he had indulged Alucard because it let him forget everything. The kisses he had shared with the vampire had always been filled with desperation and a yearning for something more. They distracted him, he could lose a bit of himself in those kisses but in the end Harry knew he had been left unsatisfied. With Tom it felt like he imagined coming home would feel like. Now with Alucard drinking from him Harry remained impassive because he had tasted something better.

Harry waited for Alucard pulled back before he stood up to address him. Even though he didn't or couldn't lose himself in Alucard it didn't mean the vampire wasn't still very useful to him. After all how many wizards could say they had a Master Vampire as an ally. "There is a ball coming up, a Masquerade, I am in need of an escort." Alucard chuckled darkly, "I will be honored to be by your side little one," answering the unasked question. "Good, keep a low profile and be sure to wear something appropriate." Harry said curtly before moved to leave.

Truthfully Harry would have preferred to have Tom by his side, always by his side but it was impractical to do so for this event. Not with Dumbledore so close, his feelings aside it would be detrimental to his goals to have Tom discovered before it was absolutely necessary. However, it didn't stop the yearning in his heart. He gripped his clothes that cover his chest, it hurt, this pain, this loneliness, never had he been so long with out Tom near. Without his realizing it Harry had gotten used to having Tom near, just a word away, now he felt exposed and alone.

"It doesn't matter," Harry murmured to himself. It didn't matter how alone he felt knowing Tom was out there waiting for him, someone he could touch, was enough. "I'll forsake everything I am," Harry whispered. Looking to the sky he realized he had another hour before he had to return to his room so he decided to return to Morgan's study. After all, he had to find all the pieces, every last one, so he could protect them. Tom was too precious to leave to chance. Dimly Harry wondered what he would do when all this was over, when all his goals were achieved. Empty emerald eyes blinked and then he was gone.

**A.N.: Hey guys, sigh, I am always a bit sad when the chapter ends! Lol. So I was thinking it over and I realized that I had gone totally insane…^_^…oh well it helps to write this sadistic crazy Harry! So I don't mind too much lol. Sorry if I take too long between updates but its just a bit hard to update frequently. Mostly because when I write my brain gets too fired up and I get too many ideas! Lol So I have probably another half dozen stories I'm writing right now. Some I've posted, some I've haven't, I got to write these ideas down otherwise I get distracted and can't write my precious Jaded eyes confidently! Oh damn, here I am ranting again. Lol I just wanted to thank everyone for being patient with me! AS always I value your guys thought! (P.s. LOVE LOVE LOVE long reviews with in depth thinking!) So Read, Review & Motivate me! Lol **

**Until next time then! Chapter 17: The Masquerade coming soon! **

**~Wicked~**


	17. The Masquerade

A.N.: I am not dead, lol I have been trying to finish this chapter for a while now. Needless to say life has certainly gotten in the way. My laptop had a melt down; of course raising the funds to buy another one is disheartening and harder than I thought it would be. I lost all my notes and chapters in the great crash of '09. It has taken a lot of will power to get through this chapter mostly because writing this on a public computer is not exactly inspiring =/ you just can't get the right feel going when there is other people around for this story. Lol I did it though! Yay I can only hope it was worth the long ass wait. I wish I could say the next chapter will come out sooner but my car was recently stolen so my squirreled away funds will be going to the unfortunate search for a new vehicle. That aside, enjoy, and please review I need some encouragement here. Lol

Chapter 17- The Masquerade

"War does not determine who is right- only who is left."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the spot floor where the diary had lain. It shouldn't have been here but now that it was it looked like his peaceful night has gone. Someone needed to be punished after all, but not tonight. Tonight he had memories to sort through, he needed to think, and he needed to recover from his forced merging. He sneered when he thought about it, the pain, the need to scream and that empty feeling he got when merging. Now more than ever he could feel the pieces he was missing, like a void within himself that he could never fill no matter what he did.

Even now, with three pieces of his soul within him Voldemort could feel the cracks, the small bits that had been lost in the fracturing. He akined it to when you shatter glass and then try to put the pieces back together. Nothing ever fits back together quite the same again, tiny pieces were always lost in the breaking and those one never does get back. He could feel the missing parts of him as acutely now as when he had broken them and it left an ache in him.

He might have shattered his soul to ensure his survival but that boy was broken without even that. The look in his eyes, to the haunting words he had spoken and even the way he moved told Voldemort terrible things. Nevertheless as he organized his new memories Voldemort began to realize something…that boy belonged to him. "He is _**mine**_," Voldemort hissed into the dark. The boy, Harry Potter or Tristen Winter, whatever name he went by belonged to HIM. Before he was born Harry had belonged to him, Harry had been **made** for him and he was his perfect match.

It mattered very little to him that the boy was quite mad, and as such he would be very hard to control. However, it seemed the boy was as _attached_ to him as Voldemort was and so it would make things much easier. He sneered a bit when he thought of all he knew of the boy, the secrets, the pain, and he couldn't help but feel impressed. After all he had been sixteen before he had taken life for the first time but Harry had been only six when he had done the same.

The boy was probably the most brilliant person Voldemort had ever come across, his power was astounding rivaling his own and truly he would find no one else who equaled him. Perhaps that was the reason Dumbledore had feared the prophecy so, after all his equal would only help him take over this world sooner rather than later. Maybe he had thought about it all wrong all those years ago, maybe having his equal would not be such a terrible thing.

The way things were heading Voldemort was sure that with Harry's help he would be able to crush the light and any whom would oppose him. Of course there were things he would have to give up to Harry if he wanted to have a good partnership with him, the most aggravating being he would have to leave the muggles to him. The boy was slightly deranged when it came to the non-magicals, especially since Voldemort distinctly remembered some of the things Harry had told him. The experiments, the screams, the torture, Harry would not take kindly to being told to back off from that front.

With a sigh Voldemort realized he would have to leave the muggles to Harry, it was a shame though since he so enjoyed a good torturing session. Vaguely that got him imagining Harry torturing alongside him, he remembered the way his eyes had stared so hungrily at him, the hallow sound of his voice and it lead him to distraction. It would be glorious to watch Harry in action, without being the recipient; his power and grace would be undeniable. He sucked in a breath at the image, beautiful, wild, and savage.

-x-

The room Suzie had brought them to was open and the windows were high stain glass reflecting a rainbow of peaceful colors onto the floor. Harry thought that this dusty old room seemed peaceful; it was a forgotten room, open and spacious. 'How sad,' Harry thought, 'that a room like this lies forgotten because there is not enough magical people to fill its halls.' Suzie was smiling broadly at him, "This is a perfect place to learn to dance right?" Harry felt the need to indulge her innocent smile, "Yes, plenty of room to move."

Having voiced his approval his gathered elites at his back shifted and quickly got rid of the dust and grime. Suzie's gathered friends stood back opened mouthed at their power but Harry didn't pay them much mind. The Twins, Flora and Fauna, moved to vanish the broken furniture from the room but Harry made them leave one of the better chairs. He sat there while they finished cleaning up the rest.

He had been distracted all day, this hollow feeling inside of him seemed to be threatening to swallow him whole if he allowed it. That was why he had said yes when Suzie had asked him for dance lessons, apparently she and most of her friends did not know how to formally dance. So here they were, his elites and Suzie's friends, one group ready to teach the other something they should have already known. The magical world was too compliant, there was not enough magical people left in this world and Harry suspected it was the muggles doings.

The muggles populated most of the world now, clogging and choking the lands with their presence. Their technology, their filth, it was stifling the world…killing its potential. Harry suspected it was them that were slowly killing off all that was beautiful and right in this world. It was them that were slowly stripping the world of its mysteries; they were systematically destroying this world and killing them without ever knowing they existed.

Harry thought it was very much like two similar species fighting for their rights to certain resources. The human race was winning because of their numbers and their unrelenting thirst for knowledge beyond them. The wizarding race was dying out because of their complacency with their lives, never striving for something more. That is why their culture was dying, there was not enough people thirsting for more, searching newer better ways to do things. Harry thought that their society had once been the greatest in the entire world, their wonders had been unmatched and their power had been unparalleled.

That was not how it was any longer, somewhere along the way the wizarding race had gotten lazy and to set in their ways. One only needed to look at their clothes to see that change had not swept this dying world in a very long time. They still wore clothes that could have passed hundred years past, longer since even and no one would bat an eye. The muggles were quite different, always changing, always evolving; it was this that made them stronger. It was this that made them the dominant species in this world; they swarmed more numerous that roaches and were just as filthy.

Not for much longer, the wizarding world had gotten two champions now, two people who craved enough to set the world aflame with change. Soon, Harry with Tom at his side would take back the world from the muggles. They would retake the rightful place at the top and give back the world some of its mysteries. They had been great once, and they would be great once more. He looked up to the stained glass windows high above him; soon their people would flourish as they had never before. That was the last goal, the thing he wanted more than even the extermination of those low life humans. To see the world as it had once been before the humans had ruined its beauty and poisoned its glory.

As much as the race of humans disgusted him they also fascinated him, with their religions and their wars. Their beliefs that drove them, and most especially their bible utterly enthralled him. Ever since he had read Paradise Lost and of Lucifer, god's most favored angel, the one who fell from heaven. Lucifer certainly was the most captivating fictional character. He was beautiful, charming, powerful and the muggles god was said to favor him the most out of all his angels. However, Lucifer had strove for more than their god had been willing to give and so he was cast out from heaven.

Just as he had been cast out from his family; so had Lucifer's god turned his back on him leaving him to rule in Hell. Turning blank eyes back to his elites he watched them slowly learn to dance, Suzie's friends were not all too graceful though. Scuffing Harry turned his eyes to Ophelia, "Play for them," he said and she nodded her acceptance. Soon a sweet melody from Ophelia's piano filled the air and it allowed the novices to get the rhythm of the dance.

Leaning back into his chair Harry thought about how one concept, one shared belief drove millions of people every day. Their beliefs connected them, made a scattered race a whole one, it was above nations, above government, and though there were differences in some religions the base is always the same. God decides your fate in the end of all things, grating eternal peace or forever in torment. Harry never understood why that thought would be comforting to anyone, to have everything that you were laid bare to one person and then wait to be judged? That didn't give him any comfort at all, in fact the idea of slipping away into to nothingness was much more comforting to him.

However, that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the power this God had over the muggles since it was a weakness and as much as it was their strength. Harry tilted his head to listen to Ophelia play. She really was something on the piano, which was a bit surprising since she was such a hard girl. Her tune was so soft, gentle, with just a small trace of her magic to give the embarrassed new dancers a bit of confidence and calm. She was flowing neatly from one song to the next not missing a beat so it seemed as if she was playing one continuous song instead of many. When she turned into a song he knew Harry tilted his head to her; Ophelia certainly had a sense of humor.

Casting bored eyes onto the fumbling dancers Harry began to sing along with her playing. The song reminded him of how he felt about magic, how its call had saved his life and how weak he had been before it.

**Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,  
That saved a wretch like me.  
I once was lost but now am found,  
Was blind, but now I see.**

He had been blind, he had been so afraid of those stupid muggles because he had been so blind to his own power.

**T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.  
And Grace, my fears relieved.  
How precious did that Grace appear  
The hour I first believed.**

The moment he had chosen to pick up that knife, chosen to end his tormentors and take that first step into his new life he had learned true fear. Yet that fear had turned to determination so easily that it changed everything for him, changed his outlook, given him the grace to use his gift…his magic…in such a way that he managed to accomplish so much.

**Through many dangers, toils and snares  
I have already come;  
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far  
and Grace will lead me home.**

Magic had led him to his school, to his path in life and it has kept him safe. Harry knew it would lead him to his end one day; hopefully it would be after he has accomplished all that he has set out to do. The prospect of death didn't disturb him in the slightest, and in fact the thought of walking into the dark sounded like the closest he would get to peace. Nonexistence would be a small price to pay for that.

**The Lord has promised good to me.  
His word my hope secures.  
He will my shield and portion be,  
As long as life endures.**

Lord Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, whatever the name he chose to go by mattered little to Harry because it didn't change the man. Tom had promised to stay by him, and with Tom he had laid his hopes on.

**Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,  
And mortal life shall cease,  
I shall possess within the veil,  
A life of joy and peace.**

Harry looked forward to the day he should die, so much so that he even had it planned to some extent. After all his work is done, all that he sought was reached, and after Tom had taken his rightful place as ruler of the world Harry would seek out the Veil. It was hidden in the confines of the Ministry and Harry had a vague notion that when all was squared away he would walk through its arch.

**Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,  
That saved a wretch like me.  
I once was lost but now am found,  
Was blind, but now I see**_**.**_

-x-

Harry knew he shouldn't be this weak, this desperate for him and yet here he was again. He watched in fascination as his love cast curse after curse on the blond on the floor. The blonde's face was so twisted up in pain it took Harry a while to recognize him as Malfoy and when he did Harry wondered what the fool had done. His screams were beautiful though, they filled up the room and echoed inside of him nicely. His fingers twitched with need as the screams suddenly stopped and red eyes fixed on him.

An insane smirk greeted him and Harry wondered what Tom was thinking of that had brought about such a reaction. Still, it soothed something broken and sharp inside of him to be in Tom's presence after so long. It had only been a few days but for Harry it had felt as if it had been an eternity. Tom stalked towards him, his smirk firmly in place, and brushed his hand along Harry's arm when he got close enough to do so. Just a small touch, grazing Harry's arm and trailing to his back causing a shiver to rise up.

Tom bent to his ear, his breath brushed the back of his neck and his hands ghosted over his arms. Harry trembled and began to lean into him. "I don't have much time," he said resisting the urge to turn around, knowing that if he did his thoughts would be lost to him. "I came because I am going to start this war…" Harry said not even flinching when Voldemort's arms tightened around him. "I am going to strike a huge blow the night of the Yule ball, I suggest that you get your forces ready. While the light is distracted by my move you will have an unparalleled advantage."

"It is a little sooner than I would have like but…" Tom said as he tangled his hand in Harry's hair to force him to look in his eyes. Harry felt trapped beneath him and Tom gave him a twisted smile as Harry stared into his jaded eyes. Those eyes, those familiar, damning eyes, they bore into Harry much deeper than anyone has ever gone. Looking into Tom's eyes was like looking into his own in a Mirror, both horrifying and fascinating at the same time.

When Harry really thought about it, thought about the 'love' he must feel for Tom, he realized that it was much like loving oneself. Harry knew his affection for those close to him (Suzie, Madeline, his Dark Angels) was like the foliage in the forest. Time would change it just like winter changed the trees, but his love for Tom was like the rocks lying beneath the trees, it was eternal. The great miseries of his life were Tom's miseries, and his great thought in living was Tom. If he should die along with everything else and this world crumbled to ash yet _Tom_ remained…Harry knew his own existence would continue to be. If all else lived and Tom was to die, the universe would seem a stranger with Harry not a part of it.

Tom _was _Harry, as Harry was Tom. Tom was always, always in his mind, not as a pleasure any more than Harry was always a pleasure to himself but as his own being. Harry _is _Tom Riddle just as Tom _is _Harry Potter. Nothing could ever change that; no force on earth could ever shatter the connection they had to one another. They were the same being in two separate bodies. "But…" Harry asked tone light revealing none of his thoughts.

"But I would require that you spend the night here with me for the inconvenience of having to implement all my plans early," Tom said smoothly while dismissing the broken blond on the floor with a flick of his hand. Tom led Harry by holding onto the small of his neck to another chamber, wordlessly locking down the wards on the room before focusing entirely on him. Smoothly Tom vanished Harry's clothes taking in his sharp intake of breath and how he struggled to keep from hiding his form from Tom's eyes.

Tom traced every scar with hungry angry eyes, "I am sorry you killed your relatives and took that pleasure from me." Tom said as he circled his prey, "No one harms what is _**mine**_." Tom's hands ghosted over the scars he could see making Harry shiver from the sudden intimacy. "I am not gentle, I am not warm," Tom said as he roughly pulled Harry's bare form to him harshly kissing his lips. When Harry jerked away for air he looked into Tom's eyes and said, "I never expected you to be." Tom gave a dark and sinister chuckle taking that as permission he took what he wanted from Harry's body that very moment.

-x-(trying not to be graphic here, use your imagination we all know what went down)

The room was beautiful, crystals hovered everywhere reflected sparks of multi-colored light on the illusion of snow falling from the ceiling. Exquisite white lace tablecloths draped elegantly down to the floor and clear crystal china twinkled at you. Madeline thought the entire scene was breath taking and murmured that into Severus' ear. He would have agreed if he could have taken his eyes off he a moment to see for himself, instead his attention was captured on her.

She was wearing a very tight dress that loosened at her knees to fall into a small train behind her. The dress was deep green and made from some sort of reptile, at least he believed so since the scales felt real. Her silver mask framed her face beautifully and enhanced the blood red of her lips. He couldn't believe she had chosen him, him, this time someone had picked him and he felt stupidly happy about that. Though he hid that fact well enough, at least he thought so.

The Yule ball was just about to begin the champions all-waiting outside the door, his eyes swept the room taking in every mask. A masquerade, it was oddly appropriate considering how many were hiding their true faces from the world. As if Severus' thoughts had summoned his attention Dumbledore gave the signal to bring the champions inside. This ball, this masquerade, was about to begin and everyone's attention turned to the door.

In swept the champions, masked, their partners' on their arms but none of them drew as much attention as the last couple. The Noctiluca boy had a man leading him onto the dance floor with the others. The man was draped in red dress robes, a deep blood red color; his hair was wild hanging like a black mane around his head. His mask was black covering half his face, framing his cheekbones and leaving his pale mouth in stark contrast. The boy had on simple black dress robes with a plain black mask and yet there was something very menacing about this small boy. More so than the tall escort beside him leaving Severus to wonder just what was about to happen.

The dance began fluid, synchronized, the champions all fell in step and yet his eyes were drawn to Madeline's boy. Something was wrong, the air was too still and the hair on his skin was raised. There would be trouble tonight, every instinct was screaming at him to hide or run. Glancing around Severus noticed that he wasn't the only one on edge tonight. The Noctiluca students were all eyeing the Winter boy with caution as he danced. Though those were the only other ones, everyone else seemed oblivious to the storm brewing on the horizon tonight.

-x-

Bridge Street was bustling even this late at night, cars drove by, people crowded the sidewalk and tourists snapped pictures at the gates guarding Big Ben. London's most famous clock stood proudly in the moonlight and no one paid much mind to the boy in the black hooded jacket with shaggy wild hair. After all St. Stephan's tavern was right across the street and there have been stranger people known to roam London's streets at night.

The boy whistled a toneless melody while striding down Bridge Street, tossing a ball from one hand to the other before he reached the entrance gates of Big Ben. He couldn't go in of course but he sat down next to them, waiting, and wondering how long he would need to wait. His alpha had given him explicit orders after all, and he couldn't leave until whatever was supposed to happen happened. Sighing he looked at the crystal ball in his hands and the black smoke within wondering just what his pack had gotten him into.

In Paris a girl hummed as she walked through the park towards the Eiffel tower being extra careful not to drop the crystal ball in her hand as she made her way in the dark. It was quiet and still, she almost wanted to turn back now. But she didn't knowing her alpha would have her skin if he even thought she might have skipped out on her duties. Still, she grumbled to herself who sends a girl to the middle of nowhere at night?

In New York a man sat by the edge of the lake in central park and tossed a crystal ball from one hand to the other. Not really minding being sent out into the park at night, because the park was certainly easier on his nose than the city had been. A beautiful woman sat demurely in a gondola hands cupped to hold onto the crystal ball carefully as the gondolier glided the boat along. Venice was certainly a beautiful place and she didn't mind one bit being sent here as the boat glided down another canal bringing her closer to the center of the city.

All over the world there was someone in every major city carrying a crystal ball filled with black smoke. Some wondered just what they were doing while others didn't mind being sent on such a bizarre errand. They all had the same instructions after all, they were to go to their assigned place hold the ball and just wait. Now what they were waiting for they didn't know but they figured soon it would all become much more clear. None of them were prepared for what was to happen and how far reaching this simple errand would become.

-x-_**(If you want to hear what I did when I imagined this listen to Death Zone by Apocalytpica)**_

Madeline smiled at him as she went to the stage and Severus was hard pressed not to smile back. She went up to the stage and summoned her cello with an array of sparks between her hands. Behind her three of the younger students summoned up three smaller cellos to play her accompaniment. Slowly Madeline played the first long sweet note, it was beautiful and Severus couldn't keep his eyes off her. Then the other three joined in and the melody became darker and more sinister by the moment.

Everyone moved to the dance floor to join in the waltz that the champions started. The tones got darker, the Noctiluca students were captivating moving as if they were one with the music. Dipping their partners low, bringing them up violently and soon for them the waltz became a tango. Dark and slow, Severus couldn't take his eyes off of Madeline who was playing furiously giving no regard to anything outside her cello.

He never noticed when the low drums started to beat in the background or when the music started to wind down his attention focused solely on the woman. Then as her song faded away Severus noticed a shift in the air, the crowd parted for Madeline's boy and his band of followers as they moved onto the stage. Whatever was going to happen tonight was beginning now.

The boy moved to the stage and the others Severus remembered having played with him before took up the space behind him. The whole room was tense now, wondering just what the Winter boy would do now.

-x-**(I highly recommend listening to the song during or after you read they are What lies beneath by breaking Benjamin, hero by Skillet, and Give me a Sign by breaking Benjamin)**

Harry felt the pulse of magic as everyone summoned their instruments, Leon began to play and Harry focused on the task ahead of him. This would be without a doubt the most challenging piece of magic he had ever preformed, it was almost too bad that no one in this room would witness it. He took a deep breath and began to sing:

**Take a breath****  
****Hold it in****  
****Start a fight****  
****You won't win****  
****Had enough****  
****Let's begin****  
****Nevermind****  
****I don't care****  
**

All around the world the small crystal orbs began to pulsate in the hands of their bearers, as a voice sang from the black smoke within. The smoke started to fill the air around them, more and more, until they couldn't see a thing besides the black smoke surrounding them. Harry could feel their fear, and continued to sing drawing magic from everyone who bore his mark. He wouldn't be able to do this alone, he needed all the magic he could take.

**All in all****  
****You're no good****  
****You don't cry****  
****Like you should****  
****Let it go****  
****If you could****  
****When love dies in the end**

The smoke blanketed the cities, the black fog made it impossible to see through, all one could hear was the panic and fear from the others experiencing it. A screech of wheels and a loud crash of metal hitting metal, someone was screaming. No matter if you were outside or in, the smoke found you and filled up all the space. You could feel it clinging to your skin and all anyone could see was the darkness of being surrounded by it. The ones who saw it coming tried to run…but there was no where to hide where the smoke couldn't find you. ****

**So I'll find what lies beneath****  
****Your sick twisted smile****  
****As I lay underneath****  
****Your cold jaded eyes****  
****Now you turn the tide on me****  
****'Cause you're so unkind****  
****I will always be here****  
****For the rest of my life**

The most terrifying thing was the disembodied voice that sang out from the smoke. Harry could feel them, his orbs, his weapon; he could feel their terror was the muggle world was being swallowed up by the darkness. This was his greatest achievement and soon the whole world would know the darkness he had been in his entire life. ****

**Here we go****  
****Does it hurt****  
****Say goodbye****  
****to this world****  
****I will not****  
****Be undone****  
****Come to life****  
****It gets worse****  
**

The smoke came at you like a living thing, grabbing at you as you tried to run and many tried to outrun it. Harry could feel it spreading it was almost covering all of their cities now. He could almost feel all of them, as he sang he told them to say goodbye, because very few would see the sky again.

******All in all****  
****You're no good****  
****You don't cry****  
****Like you should****  
****I'll be gone****  
****when you fall****  
****Your sad life****  
****Says it all****  
**

Harry looked out at the dancer on the floor but he didn't see them. His eyes were seeing the girl in a red dress running as fast as she could after her mother but she fell. His smoke surrounded her and Harry heard her crying. The boy in the blue shoes rocking back and forth on the floor of his bedroom and the old man in his rocking chair sitting as still as a statue. He could see the ones in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S., Africa and all of Asia. Just a little more and he could begin.

******So I'll find what lies beneath****  
****Your sick twisted smile****  
****As I lay underneath****  
****Your cold jaded eyes****  
****Now you turn the tide on me****  
****'Cause you're so unkind****  
****I will always be here****  
****For the rest of my life****  
**

Alucard didn't notice the bit of smoke surrounding his hands, but Harry sang on knowing he would get what he deserved for trying to turn the tide on him. Harry knew the plans Alucard had laid in motion and he knew what he had to do now. He was not one to forgive or forget a betrayal.

******Don't carry me under****  
****You're the devil in disguise****  
****God sing for the hopeless****  
****I'm the one you left behind**

Harry looked towards his parents, as he sang about being left behind and wondered if he should kill them tonight. However, he could already feel the strain from just coating the entire muggle world with his weapon and knew he wouldn't have the strength tonight. ****

**So I'll find what lies beneath****  
****Your sick twisted smile****  
****As I lay underneath****  
****Your cold jaded eyes****  
****Now you turn the tide on me****  
****'Cause you're so unkind****  
****I will always be here****  
****For the rest of my life**

He thought of Tom and Voldemort, as the last little bit of the muggle world was cover in the smoke from his orbs. He could feel them all now, every last one of them and he was going to enjoy what was coming next. Harry motioned for Suzie to come up onto the stage with him and she eagerly did. They sang the end of the world together.

(**Harry **_Suzie __Both_)

**I'm just a step away****  
****I'm just a breath away****  
****Losing my faith today****  
**_Falling off the edge today_

The voice was singing but Mary could barely hear it over the sudden screams. The screams where horrible, she had never heard a sound like this so many people were screaming and she could hear the sound of concrete crumbling. She could almost swear she felt the rush of air as a big chunk of something heavy fell beside her and yet she didn't hear a crash. Only more scream, only the sound of more things breaking, she could only hear it all. The worst thing of it all was she couldn't see what was happening, she didn't know if she was going to be the one screaming next.

_****_**  
****I am just a man****  
****Not superhuman****  
**_I'm not superhuman__**  
**_**Someone save me from the hate**

Richard tried very hard to plug his ears with his hands; he didn't want to hear them anymore. He couldn't stand the screaming anymore. Suddenly the solidness of the ground gave away and with the darkness surrounding him was all he could see or feel as he fell through. He was the one screaming now, this was a nightmare, it had to be and soon his mom would come wake him up for school. So he kept falling and screaming wondering when he would finally wake up from this nightmare. ****

**It's just another war****  
****Just another family torn****  
**_Falling from my faith today__**  
**_**Just a step from the edge****  
****Just another day in the world we live****  
**

Jean-pierre held on as tightly as he could to his older sisters hand but she kept trying to shake him off. She kept screaming and shaking, he tried to shout at her to see what the matter was but she didn't answer. Her hand was beginning to feel weird too, like the way cotton candy feels when you get it wet and it starts to dissolve. He kept trying to hold onto her tighter but it got harder and harder. Soon she stopped screaming, and he started to cry. The silence was worse, far worse then the screaming.

******I need a hero to save me now****  
****I need a hero**_**, **__save me now__  
_**I need a hero to save my life****  
****A hero will save me **_just in time_**  
**

Brenda just wanted the pain to stop, there was no describing it, just that it surrounded her and there was no trying to stop screaming. It was all she could do, scream in pain and hope she would die soon. The pain went on and on…. When Brenda stopped screaming Jacky knew she was alone and cried harder than before. The voice singing was cruel, there was no hero coming for anyone today and no one was going to be saved. Harry felt excitement as he continued to sing bringing to the muggles the despair they had brought onto him.

******I've gotta fight today****  
****To live another day****  
****Speaking my mind today****  
**_My voice will be heard today_

This was his chance, this was the end and today he would be the fighter the magical world needed. He would cut away the disease the muggles had heaped onto the world and in doing so bring about a new age of wonder. Soon the world would be as it always should have been and magic would thrive. It would be a world where no magical being would have to fear the ignorance of a muggle ever again. Never again.

**I've gotta make a stand****  
****But I am just a man****  
**_I'm not superhuman_  
**My voice will be heard today****  
**

His voice would be heard today, and every last muggle would know it by the end. He could feel them dying off, could feel the world they built crumbling to nothing. All that they were would be destroyed soon; nothing of their former glory would be allowed to remain. Harry could hear their screams; it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. So many screams, so many dying and he was doing it!

******It's just another war****  
****Just another family torn****  
**_My voice will be heard today__  
_**It's just another kill****  
****The countdown begins to destroy ourselves**

Lillian screamed the smoke was clinging to her tighter now, and she could feel her clothes falling off. She kept screaming even as the smoke released her, so scared that now it would be her turn to die. Her mother was gone, so were her brothers and father. That horrible voice kept singing, disembodied in the smoke and she hated it. ****

**I need a hero to save me now****  
****I need a hero, **_save me now_  
**I need a hero to save my life****  
****A hero will save me **_just in time_

No one had saved him, no one had protected him and when he had needed it no one had reached out to him. So Harry sang for the hero he had wished had come for him when he had been broken and bleeding in his cupboard. They all had to know what it felt like to be so hopeless, to have all dignity and light stripped away from their lives. They all had to feel what he feels, they all had to cry and scream for him.

**I need a hero to save my life****  
****I need a hero**_, just in time_  
**Save me just in time****  
****Save me just in time**

Julian tried to ignore the voice, it was too vindictive, it was too penetrating as the song went on the voice was harder and harder to ignore. At first when the smoke had come, the voice had been so faint hardly anyone had noticed it over the chaos but now it was almost like the voice was inside your head. Like even if you tore out your ears, you would still hear it singing as your family and friends screamed and died around you. Though you never saw them die, you knew they would never come back when their screams stopped and silence came. ****

_Who's gonna fight for what's right?__  
__Who's gonna help us survive?__  
_**We're in the fight of our lives****  
**_And we're not ready to die__  
_

Harry didn't understand why the rest of the magical world hadn't seen what he saw, that the muggle world was choking the life from them. That the magical world was in a fight for their very existence against the muggles and their world was content to just lie there dying. Not caring to fight back against them, to seek the muggles end to save the magicals very lives. Harry wasn't ready to let them just take everything he had ever survived for without fighting back, without trying to stop them.

****_Who's gonna fight for the weak?__  
__Who's gonna make 'em believe?__**  
**_**I've got a hero, **_I've got a hero__**  
**_**Living in me****  
**

What was happening to them? What was happening, Chris just didn't understand. What was this darkness? Was it some kind of biological weapon? Was it the Americans? The Russians? Was this nuclear war? The silence was the worst thing, before there was screaming, now it was faint and fading. What was happening?

****_I'm gonna fight for what's right__  
__Today I'm speaking my mind_**  
****And if it kills me tonight****  
**_I will be ready to die__**  
**_

Harry was beginning to feel weak but he refused to stop this close to the end. He drew more magic from his marked ones, and he continued on fighting. It was almost done now. Everything he had dreamed of, and imagined was almost reality. Soon the magical world will know what it was like to be free. Soon there would be no more reason to hide from anyone any longer.

******A hero's not afraid to give his life****  
**_A hero's gonna save me just in time_

**I need a hero to save me now****  
****I need a hero, **_save me now_**  
****I need a hero to save my life****  
****A hero will save me **_just in time_

Harry wasn't afraid to die doing this, and had accepted it as a possibility when he had begun this strike. He would save their world, and soon no magical would have to fear a muggle ever again. Soon Tom would unite their world and everything would be as it should.

******I need a hero****  
**_Who's gonna fight for what's right?__  
__Who's gonna help us survive?__  
_

Suzie pushed her magic towards Harry feeling the need to help him carry this through to the end. So happy that she could be a part of this and that he had chosen her to help cave the world. She sang on…

******I need a hero****  
**_Who's gonna fight for the weak?__  
__Who's gonna make 'em believe?__  
_**I've got a hero******

**I need a hero****  
**_A hero's gonna save me just in time_

That was it there was nothing left, his smoke had erased the last of what they had and now it was time to do something with all this energy. No energy is ever truly destroyed it only changes form and not it was time to change to face of the world. He paused taking a moment to sip some water and concentrate on withdrawing the darkness from its path of destruction.

As the smoke started to clear Hanna wished she had kept her eyes closed, there was nothing left, nothing. She stood there naked looking out at the dirt that used to be her home. At the street that was no longer there, at the place where her mom parked their car and there was nothing but dirt and grass. The plants were all there unharmed, but that was all that was left of her life. No one in her family had survived the smoke, no one but her.

Looking down the street Hanna saw a boy standing naked looking just as shocked, just as confused as she was and then she noticed he was staring at something. She looked up and started to tremble in fear, there was the smoke it was all gathering up there. Condensing into a tight ball, then Hanna heard the voice and she knew it wasn't over. Not yet.

**Dead star shine****  
****Light up the sky****  
****I'm all out of breath****  
****My walls are closing in****  
****Days go by****  
****Give me a sign****  
****Come back to the end****  
****The shepherd of the damned**

Michael looked up at the radiating black star in the sky, the thing that had taken everything from him and wondered just what was there left to take. What was going to happen now? The star exploded then and pieces of it fell around Michael and then a piece headed straight for him and he tired to run. But it hit him hard and fast on the back of his neck. Michael could feel it tightening around his neck like a noose. He felt it on his ankles and wrists too. As he looked down he saw dark blue bands around his ankles and wrists. Feeling around his neck he felt one around his neck, a cold ball of dread filled his stomach. ****

**I can feel you falling away******

**No longer the lost****  
****No longer the same****  
****And I can see you starting to break****  
****I'll keep you alive****  
****If you show me the way****  
****Forever - and ever****  
****the scars will remain****  
****I'm falling apart****  
****Leave me here forever in the dark****  
**

Kiki stared at her red bands on her ankles and her wrists, then at her little sister. Josefina had similar bands but they were white. Then she felt a tug, like a hook in her stomach and the world swam out of view. She hit the ground hard and panicking Kiki tried to find Josefina and found her not to far from where she landed. There were a more and more people landing around them, all naked, all with bands on them.

******Daylight dies****  
****Blackout the sky****  
****Does anyone care?****  
****Is anybody there?****  
****Take this life****  
****Empty inside****  
****I'm already dead****  
****I'll rise to fall again****  
**

Kate couldn't keep her eyes away from the black star in the sky as it started to rain a heavy drops of something onto the ground. Everything that the rain touched, green things grew, the world came to life, flowers bloomed, trees sprouted up and all around her the world that she had known became a distant memory. Standing in the lush grass Kate couldn't help but think how terribly beautiful it was and how wrong it felt to see London become a wooded plain.

******I can feel you falling away******

**No longer the lost****  
****No longer the same****  
****And I can see you starting to break****  
****I'll keep you alive****  
****If you show me the way****  
****Forever - and ever****  
****the scars will remain****  
****I'm falling apart****  
****Leave me here forever in the dark**

Around the world each magical government was receiving messages, their offices were swamped with reports of muggles disappearing, whole cities along with them. Each minister, emperor, chief warlock and president opened a heavy black envelope with shaking hands. Inside was simple instructions stating that in a few minutes their countries muggle born wizards and witches would be delivered to them. The letter stated that it was expected that they take care to make sure they were placed into appropriate magical homes. ****

**God help me I've come undone****  
****Out of the light of the sun****  
****God help me I've come undone****  
****Out of the light of the sun****  
**

Harry could feel the world coming to life, soon the last of the muggles would be transported to their new owners and the magical children of the muggles will have been delivered to their governments. The vampires would get their cattle, some select families would get their servants and some of the werewolf clans would get their new breeding stock. Muggles had some use after all.

******I can feel you falling away******

**No longer the lost****  
****No longer the same****  
****And I can see you starting to break****  
****I'll keep you alive****  
****If you show me the way****  
****Forever - and ever****  
****the scars will remain****  
**

Harry hands gripped his sides, feeling his scars underneath his clothes, and remembering all the pain. There were no memories that were not shadowed in darkness for him and Harry wanted to make sure that the world would never forget this night. Alucard held up his gloved hands, the newly restored cuffs and grinned at him savagely. Harry would make sure his enemies would remember the night, the night he changed the face of the world and remade history. He would not let magic die, and no longer would it be so dangerously close to doing just that.

******Give me a sign****  
****There's something buried in the words****  
****Give me a sign****  
****Your tears are adding to the flood****  
****Just give me a sign****  
****there's something buried in the words****  
****Give me a sign****  
****Your tears are adding to the flood****  
****Just give me a sign****  
****There's something buried in the words****  
****Give me a sign****  
****Your tears are adding to the flood****  
**

It didn't matter to Harry any more if the magical world ever came to an agreement on how their world should be run. He didn't care about blood purity or pureblood rights as opposed to muggle borns. None of that had ever matter to him, because to him magic was magic, a gift that should never be ignored or forgotten. His scars would probably remain with him forever, emotional and physical, but that didn't change what he has accomplished. Harry knew that once everyone found out what he had done this night he would never be forgotten or ignored again.

******Forever - and ever****  
****The scars will remain**_**  
**_

His eyes swept to his parents as he finished singing and walked exhausted off of the stage. Leon was discretely ready to catch him if he proved too weak to support himself. Harry thought that the thing that made him hate his parents the most was not the fact that they had abandoned him, although that was a big part of it, but it was the fact that they had forgotten him. They had went on with their lives, had a new son; they had went on joyfully ignoring the very fact he had ever existed.

Harry's eyes moved to Madeline, more than once he had wondered what it would have been like to be her real son and not just her adopted responsibility. Things might have been different, he might have understood what real love was, what it was to have friends and people you trusted. However, wallowing in what ifs could only drive one mad in the end because there were always endless possibilities but just one reality. His reality was that he had surrounded himself with a loyal group of followers, not equals, and Tom was the only one who could try to understand him. Tom knew more than most, but no one knew it all.

Not that it mattered much to him any longer anyways, Harry was content with the path he had chosen and he would see it through to the end.

-x-

Snape wasn't sure what had just happened, he could see no sign of anything being different in the hall but clearly the Winter boy had just done some serious magic. The exhaustion on not only his face but also the face of every other Noctiluca student was evidence enough for him. Something huge had just happened and Severus dreaded having to find out what exactly had just occurred. He thought briefly of asking Madeline to speak to him in private but decided against it mostly since he just didn't want to know.

He felt a hand grip his arm lightly and nearly jumped out of his skin Severus was so startled. It goes to show that he had let the Winter boy distract him too much if he hadn't noticed the person approaching him. Lilly's dark emerald eyes stared up at him and he froze, his heart beat just a little bit faster. She had looked at him like that since they were children, like a friend.

"Severus, would you mind stepping outside with me a moment there is something I want to talk to you about?" Lilly asked softly. Severus looked over the see Madeline playing another waltz with her crew of cello players and judged that he would have maybe five minutes before he was missed. Then he turned back to Lilly and agreed to go with a tilt of his head not trusting his voice.

His mind was churning, he didn't know what to feel or say to Lilly. After all until recently he had loved her from a far all his life, had kept loving her after James had already won her and had been certain he would die loving her. However, that was before he had started to get to know Madeline and now he wasn't sure of anything anymore. Lilly was still his first love though and his first heartbreak so he followed her in confusion.

Once they were outside on the walkway she began to speak, "There is something important I need to say to you and I'll hope you'll be reasonable and listen." Severus again found himself only able to nod not trusting in his voice, it had been so long since Lilly had spoken to him this way. "There is a lot of history between us Severus, and I have always regretted that our friendship didn't survive past our fifth year of Hogwarts. You said something to me Severus that I could have forgiven had you asked my forgiveness." She went on to say and watched him look away from her eyes ashamed.

"I have always regretted not begging for your forgiveness the moment the words left my mouth," Severus admitted as she stared at him with those eyes, eyes he had always loved. "Of course after what happened to Harry, to my family, because of the life you had turned to I stopped regretting that break. I thought I would always hate you Severus, for being the key factor in tearing my family apart…in taking my baby away from me," Her voice broke and she turned away from him refusing to even look at him.

Severus felt his heart break into a thousand pieces, he had never meant to hurt Lilly, never, and he knew no words from him could ever make losing her child any better. Harry had been missing for a while now, they didn't know if he was dead or alive. If he was happy or healthy and Severus knew how much her children meant to Lilly. He fell to his knees, "Lilly I know there is nothing I could say to you that would come close to good enough, no apology I could make, I do not deserve your forgiveness so I will not ask for it. But know that should you ask anything of me I would do anything, _**anything**_, you asked."

Lilly turned around to face him, kneeing before her Severus had to look up to see her face, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about Severus, there is something I need to ask of you that is selfish and horrible. However, I feel that if you were to do this thing, this one thing for me I think I could begin to forgive you for all you have done to me." "Ask anything of me Lilly," Severus said feeling hope bubble up inside of him.

He had never thought he would ever be able to earn Lilly's forgiveness, and here was a way he could start down that road. "Severus what I want is for you to stop speaking to that woman, Madeline, Sirius has been through so much he deserves to be happy. He's ready to settle down now, and have a family Severus and he wants her. If you ignore her, Sirius will finally be able to sweep her off her feet and I know I'm asking a lot from you but its what I want Severus."

Severus had thought his heart had been broken enough by Lilly that it could break no further but he had been terribly wrong. The hope he had felt was now cold and hard in his chest. 'Sirius deserved to be happy' did that not mean that he didn't deserve to have happiness in his life? That Lilly thought he didn't deserve to keep Madeline, but then again as he remembered his crimes Severus began to believe that also. With a hoarse voice he replied, "Alright Lilly, alright, I'll leave Ma…the woman to Black." Lilly smiled at him and it almost made it worth it, almost. Severus should have known that any ray of happiness or hope could never last long for him. He felt foolish and naïve for ever imagining it could.

-x-

The French minister felt harried and overwhelmed as he pushed the last of the people from his office he just needed a minute to think. No one had seen this coming, the entire muggle world wiped out in a few minutes, and now he was left dealing with the aftermath. The buildings frequented by wizards, their towns, markets and farms had remained untouched thank Merlin. However, anything that hadn't gotten regular contact with the magical world was gone, at least that was what his people were telling him. There was a mess of naked muggle born wizard and witches amassed outside his ministry severely traumatized awaiting some form of explanation.

He had nothing though, just a letter in a black envelope, and a whole world of trouble. He took out his secret stash of fire whiskey and downed a big gulp, hoping to stave off some of his nerves. Whoever had done this was more powerful then any wizard or witch he had ever heard of. The entirety of the muggle world was gone, there were no memories to wipe, no damage to repair, it was done there was no more need for a statue of secrecy. Who was left to keep a secret from?

The main thing was that he needed to take on one problem at a time, first the muggle born outside. They were now very much aware that magic exists or at least they suspected it. Now he needed to figure out what to do with them all, where the hell was he going to put them? John-Claude already had his secretary getting every seamstress she could out there to clothe them because they couldn't leave them naked. That was just barbaric. Just what they hell was he going to do?

Magical leaders around the world were facing the same problem, they didn't know how to handle the situation handed to them and weren't sure how to proceed. The Italian Minister was the first one to crack under the pressure and begin contacting the I.C.W. to arrange and emergency meeting of the confederation. The meeting was quickly agreed upon and someone was dispatched to get the Supreme Mugwump himself.

-x-

Voldemort waited for the signal, his Death Eaters were all gathered with the exception of the ones he wasn't entirely sure of where their loyalties lied. He had watched the destruction of the muggle with a mixture of awe, excitement, and caution. That boy was without a doubt one of the most powerful being on this planet, and he was relieved he wouldn't have to test himself against the boy. If he was entirely honest with himself Voldemort wasn't entirely sure who would come out on top had the boy opposed him.

That was not going to be an issue though, as his equal, though he hated to admit it, the boy had his own goal that happen to align with his own. Together there would be no one that could hope to stand against him and Voldemort was gleeful over that fact. Very soon the world would learn his name and fear to speak it, very soon now everything he had ever strove for would be his, theirs. The signal went up, the idiot Fudge was off the I.C.W. meeting about the worthless muggle disappearances. Dumbledore was at Hogwarts totally unaware of his movements and what has happened.

The old fool would go the I.C.W. meeting first and by the time he got back there would be no way to defend against him…he would have already won.

_A.N.: I want to thank everyone who kept with this story and reviewed, it means a lot to me. To the haters that review to tear down a new author, get a life, cause if you need to reread my work and point out every small mistake then all that means is it meant enough to you that you had to keep on reading it! Kodoos on being an asshole! XP lol Next Chapter: The beginning of the End. _


	18. The Beginning of the End

**A.N. Hey guys! This chapter was perhaps the hardest I've written yet, it's been an amazing journey! I just wanted to address something, from my understanding I heard that Fanfiction is going to go through the site soon and take down all the stories that have: Excessive violence, songs, and graphic details. I'm naturally concerned because it means that this story probably wont be up here for much longer as it sort of fits that criteria. If you don't want to see that happen I would sign the petition on Change . org so we can protest this! Thanks for reading and as always Harry Potter and the songs featured in this story are not mine! Enjoy! Ja Ne**

"**Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."**

Chapter 18- The Beginning of the End

Madeline shook with barely contained rage and couldn't hold herself back any longer. She had only caught the end of the conversation between Snape and Lily Potter; however it had been enough. Madeline walked briskly up to Snape and the look on his face; the shame, guilt, regret and the silent resignation almost made her feel sorry for him…almost. She wasn't entirely sure what to say to him, in fact Madeline had even raised her hand as if she was going to slap him and Snape just stood there unflinching. As if he wanted her to hit him, wanted her to punish him but in the end Madeline just turned her back on him turning to Lily instead.

Madeline's hand clenched into a fist and before Lily knew what happened the force of the punch into her face had knocked her off her feet. Lily landed on the ground, hard, cheek throbbing in pain and tasting blood in her mouth. Madeline stood over her shaking with rage and resisting the urge to kick her while she was down there. "I can't think of a word low enough to call you," Madeline said to Lily, "so I'll have to settle for calling you a meddling, conniving, bitch and tell you that in my eyes there is nothing lower than you."

With that Madeline turned sharply away from them, making sure the trail of her gown smacked Lily sharply on the face as she did so, and walked back inside. Lily laid there on the ground stunned, shocked still; no one had ever hit her in her life. Lily had been in magical combat before, but there was something about physical violence that threw her off her balance. She didn't know how to react and as Lily stood spitting the blood from her mouth she grew angry. How _dare_ Madeline do that to her! With nothing in mind but the pure rage bubbling up inside of her Lilly tore off after Madeline intent on getting some pay back.

-x-

Kiki shivered as she looked out across the open field she was in and tried in vain to get her thoughts to stop swirling chaotically in her head. Here she was in the middle of nowhere, naked, surrounded by other naked people, everything she once knew gone and quite possibly everyone as well. Kiki stared at the bands around her wrists and ankles again wondering what the hell was going on. It was like on big collective nightmare. All around her people were screaming, crying, shouting, and a few laughing hysterically. Some of them were wandering around asking people if it was all a dream, and a few others had passed out.

What had happened? Why were they here? Just as Kiki was starting to hyperventilate the bands around her arms grew hot and heavy. Sluggishly without her consent Kiki felt her body start to kneel down, she tried to keep holding Josefina's hand but it was too much. Her hands came together outstretched above her head. Kiki found herself staring at the ground, hands folded together above her head and sitting on her knees. Insanely she was reminded of those cheesy geisha cartoons her little sister loved so much, she felt like a naked one prostrating herself before a higher class person.

Then came the sound, it sounded like a gunshot a few feet from her and that's when she realized it had gotten dead silent. There was the sound of footsteps and Kiki tried desperately to lift her head…all she managed to do was look up a bit to see a pair of scuffed up shoes. "It works just how the letters said it would," a gruff voice said. "Are you really that surprised?" A smooth cultured voice chimed in. "No, not surprised, but it was hardly something any of us could ever dream of happening even a week ago." Said the gruff one. "Do you know how many muggles are left?" smooth asked. "A few million, split between us, the vampires and a few wizards, the muggle born were all sent to the ministries. Shame that, we could have used the magical ones, these will have to do though." Gruff replied.

"Truly a shame," the cultured one replied, "so how are they sorted again?" "The white collars mean they haven't hit puberty yet, the pink ones are just turning over, and the reds are wet and ready," the gruff one replied laughing "goes the same for boys, black is mature, blue is growing and whites are not even close". Kiki felt dread squirming around in her belly, suddenly all too aware that these voices where male, close and she was naked. "Right…so we get to go through this entire lot and pick our favorites right?" the smooth one said. "No more than two reds and you can only have one white or pink. The breeders need to be taken as soon as possible though; Alpha wants to get the pack's numbers up fast. There is a lot of open territory now that will be claimed fast, we need the extra manpower." The gruff replied.

"You wont catch me complaining," The smooth laughed and the ball of dread burst open into full-blown panic in Kiki's stomach. "So how are we gonna do this?" Smooth asked. "I'll pull the red standing then the males will get there picks by ranking, Alpha is first then, us two since we were a part of this and then it goes down the line." Gruff replied. Just then there was another pop, like a muffled shot and then there was another presence standing over her. "Alright, let's get this done fast, tonight is going to be all the time we will have for this," a strong voice said "and for moon's sake don't let any of them cry or talk that will only make this take longer!"

Kiki felt her body start to stand up and though she tried to shout her face went slack and her mouth remained shut. All too soon she was standing before three men, naked, unable to even make the effort to scream. Her hands remained docile by her sides and though she felt like she was crying at this point no tears fell from her eyes. "Can't you clean them up they smell, and are dirty" Strong said, Kiki didn't have a name but at least she could see their faces now.

Strong was a beautiful man, tall, broad shoulders, small hips, big arms; he had a shaggy mane of white hair and dark colored eyes. "Actually I think so," Gruff replied, Kiki noticed he was a hard looking man with scars on his face and a short cropped black hair reminding her of a soldier. He had a small crystal ball in his hands and Kiki saw him twist it around and touch its surface a few times. Then suddenly she felt raw, like someone had scrubbed her clean with sand and no water. Smooth whistled and said, "Pretty nifty that thing." He was a tall, lean man with short styled brown hair and blue eyes that looked around hungrily.

That's when she noticed all the other girls with bands red, pink and white were standing stone faced with her, all naked and clean looking. All the boys had remained face down in the dirt. Kiki knew she should be feeling scared, panicked, that she should be trying to fight at least. Yet she just felt like she was pulling more and more away from herself. Shock had finally settled in making her dissociate with everything.

"Let's get this over with then, I'll take my three then you may take yours. When your finished call up the rest of the pack and get all the girls sorted away." Strong said as he weaved his way through the crowd. He came back a few minutes later with three gorgeous girls, one with a white band and two with red. "Make sure every ready man does his duty Rick, we need pups." Strong said to Gruff…Rick…before he disappeared with a pop along with his chosen girls. Gruff laughed and rubbed his hands together, "You heard the man pick yours and get down to it!" Rick walked off leaving Smooth staring around gleefully before his eyes landed on her.

Kiki knew she was a pretty girl, nice clear skin, strawberry blonde hair, big blue eyes and full lips. She had known before the world had gone to hell, but even at 18 she had remained a virgin. Unlike her friends she didn't want to give that away to just anyone…as Smooth walked towards her she wished she had. "Sisters…" smooth said as he eyed at her then Josefina.

-x-

The French Minister sat staring at his desk waiting for the last reports to come in before he had to go to the I.C.W. and face this mess all over again. There were preliminary reports stating that some large groups of muggles had survived the destruction of their world and were being herded to places unknown by unidentified entities. The muggle born outside his ministry was the main focus of his right now though. Some were grown, having already been informed of their magical state and had some idea of what was going on. Needless to say they were frightened and angry; that was the least of his worries at the moment. The majority of the wizards and witches outside where children ranging from infants to teenagers. Most ignorant of the world they had just been thrust into very violently. Already there were debates about what to do with them and with the general panic going around those talks were raising the hysteria levels.

-x-

Harry felt his hands shake, the feeling of weakness washed over him as he watched Madeline follow Snape and his birth mother outside. He had used too much magic; the strain was beginning to show because even with the help of his followers reshaping the world had taken a toll on him. He saw Alucard slinking around the room new black gloves adorned his hands…it was the sign of his subservience and Harry smirked feeling satisfied. It probably hadn't been wise to enslave a master vampire while also destroying and creating a world.

The drain of magic was apparent now and Harry knew he would need to retire soon from the ball so that he could begin to recover. He got up with the intention of doing so walking sluggishly across the ballroom. He stood to wait a moment when he saw Madeline storming over to him. She had almost reached his side when Harry noticed his birth mother tearing towards them wand drawn curse barely parting from her lips.

He didn't think, just acted, pushing Madeline down to the ground he summoned a shield to deflect the fiery red curse. It was a testament to how weak he really was that the shield flickered on impact and was gone soon after leaving him in the direct line of fire. It exploded out over him and Harry felt a sharp pain shudder through him as his own blood bathed over him. All was quiet for a moment, Harry stood there stunned, to in shock to even scream and then distantly he heard Madeline scream sharply up at him from the floor.

All around chaos broke loose as his elite rushed towards him and Madeline started to firing wicked looking curses at Lily Potter who was trying to defend against them. He stood in the middle of it all in a puddle of blood as more poured down his front and it was almost ironic that a few heartbeats later Harry was hit by another stray curse. Clark had joined the fray with his mother and luckily his jinx was almost harmless. It banished only banished the top part of his clothes away and that was when Harry started shaking. In the end it wasn't the teachers that stopped the chaos building inside the ballroom…it was the sound of sharp cold laughter.

It pulled everyone's attention as they turned their eyes to Harry who stood bleeding with a star burst wound on his chest blood flowing from him steadily as he laughed. Harry laughed harshly with no humor as he raised a shaking hand to his face inspecting the blood painted on it before he fisted his hair with both hands and cackled brokenly. Blood was smeared across his face; he was covered in spatters of blood giving him a ghastly image. The cool rush of the air reminded him that now most of his worst scars were on display and made him cackle harder.

Madeline was approaching him cautiously now, like she was approaching a dangerous wounded animal and in a way she was indeed. The whites of Harry's eyes stood out and his attention shifted from Madeline to the ones that brought had brought his humiliation on. His birth mother stood by Clark and there was a strange expression on her face like she was seeing him for the first time.

-x-

Lily looked at the horror she had wrought and couldn't stop the shame that flooded her looking at that boy. The stinging pain on her cheek long forgotten and as she started to process what exactly she was seeing that she started to see certain things. The scars on his torso and arms that were highlighted by blood…the startling wound she had inflicted. When she finally managed to look at him in the face she almost stepped back to retreat away from the crazed look on his face. It was after she had gotten herself to look past that and study his features that she began to notice something that made her heart plummet to the floor. With his hands holding his hair like that it looked chaotic and shorter…familiar. Then without his normal composure Lily noticed the crazed look in his _green_ eyes, eyes she had seen every day in the mirror.

Finally it was the blood-bathed scar on his forehead that had seemed to appear with the blood that settled the small voice of denial. Before her was her first born, her son, the one she had been dreaming of meeting again and completing her family. Tristen Winter was Harry Potter, _her_ Harry, her baby and she had shattered him. A wave of nausea flushed over her and made her knees weak with the effort of holding her up. She took a small step forward, his names on her lips, and that's when his attention snapped from Madeline to her.

-x-

His heart was hammering in his chest from the effort of keeping him standing that when he heard his birth mother whimper out, "_Harry?" _that his knees gave out. He could only watched as she started to come towards him distantly he heard her say, "_Harry, it is you, I know it is, Harry…baby."_ He wanted to scream as she came towards him like some horrible monster from his worst nightmares. Madeline had reached him putting a healing hand on his wound, stopping the flow of blood as she worked to heal it with her magic. He turned towards her then forcing his eyes away from his dawning nightmare to look at her. He reached for her without thinking about the reason why throwing his arms around her and began cackling louder.

Madeline was startled by the feel his arms circling her but she didn't pause when she felt him shake with laughs. Holding his slight fragile form tightly to her she summoned her wand to her hand while trying to shield him as best she could with her body. Looking for a threat she spotted the Bitch Potter trying to move towards them. "Stop right there Bitch unless you want me to disembowel you!" she said fiercely. Lily for her credit froze the moment that wand trained onto her but she was stubborn, "Give him to me woman! That is my son! Give me Harry!" Lily's shrill words woke something in the crowd, and it quickly became was whispering hoard.

"Give him to you?" Madeline bit out the question, "Do you see what you and your little bastard of a son have done to him!" Lily's eyes moved down to the trembling laughing form in Madeline's arms. His back was facing her now and her stomach rolled when she saw the horrific scars on his back…the word FREAK scarred in bold thick lines. She thought about the one she must have given him now on his chest and for the first time in a long while…was stunned silent.

A figure broke through the crowd, small and fast. Suzie ran right up to Harry and Madeline with a robe in her arms to quickly cover his bared back. Harry seemed to sense it was Suzie because he didn't even flinch as she touched him and gently took him from Madeline's arms. "Shh, big brother, shh," she whispered fiercely while laying him in her lap, "I'm here, I wont let them touch you." Lily's attention was brought back to Madeline when she stood up and blocked her view of Harry. He had stopped laughing suddenly…

"You deserve to suffer the worst unimaginable torments for the rest of your magic forsaken life," Madeline stated calmly as the Noctiluca gathered up around her and Harry. The ones that followed Harry, all the Noctiluca students and some from Hogwarts fell into ranks dividing the room. On one side there was Lily potter, the other Madeline and slowly the ones who didn't want to involve themselves sulk from the room. The tension was running very high as James joined the other two Potters and both sides stared each other down waiting for someone to make the first move.

A small voice broke the tension and their eyes turned to the voice even if they couldn't see her clearly.

**(Run cover by Leona Lewis)**

**I'll sing it one last time for you  
Then we really have to go  
You've been the only thing that's right  
In all I've done  
**

Suzie ignored everything her focus was solely on Harry as she sang to him softly, lightly, the words he had once sang to her and she hoped desperately it would help him.

**And I can barely look at you  
But every single time I do  
I know we'll make it anywhere  
Away from here  
**

It was very hard to look at him like this, because he had always seemed so strong…so invincible. Some part of her had believed that irrationally that Harry was perfect that he had no real weakness. He did though. He was so much more fragile than he wanted to admit to anyone even himself.

**Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you, dear  
**

Harry really did light up a room even if he never intends to…he just had this something about him that touched people and made them strive to be better. He meant everything to Suzie, because he was the first person to make her life joyful again after her parents had passed. To protect her from all the bad things that could have happened and she loved him more than anyone.

**Louder, louder  
And we'll run for our lives  
I can hardly speak, I understand  
Why you can't raise your voice to say, run ruunn**

To Harry, Suzie was the last person outside of Tom Riddle to touch his heart in any way. Before loss and betrayal had closed his heart off from the rest of the world. His Elite, his Madeline, Harry valued them for their power and their position in his army. As much as he didn't want to admit it to even himself he cared for everyone in his army, but he didn't hold them in his stone heart like Suzie…like Tom. Though if he was honest with himself Tom held most of what was left of his shriveled, broken, stone heart. But Suzie…she held whatever was left.

"Alucard," Harry said and he appeared bathed in shadow before him, hands clad in black gloves a manifestation of his new shackles. "Bring me the goblet of fire." Alucard smile was all sharp teeth as his shadow pooled beneath him and he disappeared into it. "Suzie gather everyone it is time we leave," Harry said as he stood up blood sluggishly dripping from his wound. Alucard appeared kneeling the goblet raised up to present it to him.

Harry took it feeling the magic pulse under his hands and he reached into it as the fire lit up inside it. The burn of the flames hurt but not enough to deter him. Finally he felt something give way inside it and he felt the magic of the cup begin to drain away flowing inside of him giving him a much needed boost. The Goblet began to rust and dull in his hands before it crumbled to nothing in his hands drained completely of magic.

Alucard looked at him strangely eyes intent on the rusty dust that was all that remained of a once powerfully magical artifact. "Did you think I took nothing from your blood?" Harry whispered in his ears as he stood up leaving a frightful sharp tooth smile on Alucard's face. He called Logan to his side to whisper, "Gather everyone, it is time to leave the war has started and we will need everyone who hasn't been drained from my spell." Logan nodded and quickly got everyone moving their excitement was palpable.

-x-

Voldemort's eyes glowed a menacing red as he watched his Death Eaters clear out the last of the ministry's employees. They had been given a choice, bow to him or die. Most bowed but there were a few that defied him trying to fight a lost battle. Those few died quickly and painfully. "My lord, we have secured the building but Yaxley let Weasley get away. He will no doubt inform Dumbledore we should prepare for a counter attack." Rowle said.

"Yaxley will be punished for now put him in the front lines, Dumbledore will not likely counter attack for a while yet but in case he steps out of character tighten security. Get a team sent out to Diagon Alley we need to get that secured next. Britain will be mine tonight!" Voldemort chuckled darkly. It was more then he thought had been possible, this was a complete victory no matter if there turned out to be rebels in his new world.

He hadn't thought it was possible to so utterly destroy the muggles, that this world could have been taken back so easily was a bit disconcerting. Voldemort was no fool he had thought that with their technology that the muggles were more likely to destroy them by accident with their nuclear bombs then the magical world destroying them. It was so perfect, the righteous have inherited the earth and the remaining muggles would bow on bent knee forever more.

Voldemort sent another team to Hogsmead to ensure a good launching point to take over Hogwarts when he got a message from his precious. Hogwarts was already divided, the battle lines were already drawn and they had already torn down the wards for him. Harry was leaving to recover from his earth shattering spell along with the few he had drained the most in his efforts but a rather large force was remaining. They needed reinforcements to take Hogwarts; Voldemort would lead that one along with a group of his best. Harry was going to send in more of his army but it would take time to get them to the school.

-x-

Harry called his elite to him, and they came on bent knee before him. "Flora, Fauna, get the ones too young to fight that are on our side out of here. Gabriel, open the portal, call for the gorgons and gargoyles, we will need them for the next wave. Logan contact the pack your father is aligned with in England they should be already gathered to fight. Cleo, get the trolls and the giants to create a perimeter around the school with those damnable spiders. That should keep the centaurs at bay. The rest of you if you have the energy to fight, help secure the school, if you are too drained come with me we need to get out of here with the young ones so we don't hinder them."

He felt Voldemort arrive, along with his Death Eaters and felt satisfied that they would win Hogwarts. Harry turned to greet him and saw Voldemort's eyes tighten subtly as he took in his wound from the opening in his robe. Voldemort reached out suddenly grabbing him by the back of the head to pull him in close. He whispered in his ear, "Whoever did that will play dearly, of that I can ensure you." Harry felt a shiver run down his spine, "Leave her to me, she is mine to destroy." Voldemort's mouth tightened in displeasure but he gave a slight nod.

-x-

The I.C.W. meeting was in chaos, just about everyone was shouting and nothing was getting done. Dumbledore tried to restore order when he arrived but his voice was one of many getting drowned out by other louder voices. Some were shouting that the Muggles must have destroyed themselves, other shouted about unknown terrorist groups, others were screaming about getting in order. Still others were shouting about what must be done with the muggleborn wizards and witches waiting outside the ministries.

"We must do something about them, they are magical!"

"The statue of secrecy clearly states that we have no authority over them until they turn eleven! Let them sort themselves out!"

"Fool! There is no statue now! There are no muggles left to hide from and we have a responsibility to them!"

"There have been sightings of large groups of what has to be the remaining muggles appearing all around the world! The muggles are being taken by agents unknown we must do something!"

"They are not magical why should we seek to help them? They who burned us at the stake and drove us into hiding like rats!"

"Have some humanity, these are people! I have reports of the unknown agents have some power over them already there are sightings of mass rape and torture!"

"We don't have the resources to help the muggles now! Not with the muggle born already at our door, we don't have time to save more now!"

"What about the ones who have done this? Has anyone else heard the reports of the voice that they heard as the black mist destroyed everything? How can we even hope to oppose someone strong enough to do that!"

"We aren't certain this was an act of one, we don't know what we are facing!"

"We are facing War! Merlin be damned! Whatever did this has declared war on the entire world! Mark me, they will come for us next!"

"You can't know that! Maybe it was just a radical muggle hater group!"

On and on it went. No one managed to gain any ground, the shouting just got louder as more and more people began to amplify their voices with magic. It was chaos, pure chaos and Dumbledore felt lost and every day his age. There was a loud BANG as a bloody Arthur Weasley suddenly appeared in the room causing a temporary silence.

"It's Voldemort! He has taken the Ministry! They're making a move to take the whole of England!" He shouted before collapsed into a bloody heap on the floor. The room was quiet for a heartbeat more before the shouting returned even more panicked than before as news of Voldemort's return spread. There were cracks as people began to leave frantic to secure their own ministries before Voldemort made a move towards them.

Dumbledore healed Arthur as well as he could so he could take him to Hogwarts safely. He sent out his patronus to call together the order to meet him in the hospital wing so he could rally the war effort. If he didn't act quickly there would be no one left to fight in the resistance.

-x-

James Potter ran as fast he could while keeping to the back of the group to cover them as they made their way to the hospital wing hoping to barricade themselves there. Voldemort had come sweeping in like some terrible nightmare before Lilly and him had a chance to process finding their son. They had managed to rally everyone they could to fight while trying to give the little ones a window to escape.

However, as more and more of this terrible dark army appeared they were quickly becoming overwhelmed. James felt some hope flickering in him as he and the last of the resistance made it into the hospital wing. They barricaded the door as best they could and lined up ready to defend it when Dumbledore appeared in the room. There was a bit of chaos as he was swarmed by panicked students and adults alike as they tried to draw some comfort him.

Madam Pomfrey saw Arthur's condition first and managed to get him from Dumbledore before more damage was done to the man. Dumbledore quickly silenced everyone with a quick spell moving to the doors to talk to him. "They have overrun the school, Sirius was petrified when the gorgons got here. Lilly managed to get him here but he is not much help until he gets free of that. They've spelled the school so you can get in but not out. There are trolls and Giants surrounding the school so leaving physically is out."

"The fireplaces?" Dumbledore asked.

"Redirected to send you straight to the middle of Voldemort's stronghold." James answered.

"How many able fighters do we have?" Dumbledore Asked.

"About twenty if you count the seventh years, but we can only hold this wing for so long before they break through with greater numbers. They're trained, they're dark, so they wont hesitate to use spell to kill or maim. Even with the advantage of making them fight in this tight place where their numbers are limited we wont last long." James answered.

"We have no choice then, we must abandon Hogwarts to give us a chance to win her back another day. I fear that leaving now will ensure that this war has already shifted in Voldemort's favor but if we stay there will be blood…and death." Dumbledore said.

"How will we escape, they have block off all our means to do so and leaving here forcefully is a sure fire way to lose more than half of the ones we do have!" James said.

"Simple, my dear boy we take the road less traveled. I thought you of all people would know there is more than one way to leave the hollowed grounds of this school." Dumbledore said as he moved towards Madam Pomfrey's office. There he went to her fireplace, tapped the bricks on the side of the mantelpiece while saying, "Sugared plums." There was a grinding sound as the fireplace and the bricks surrounding it folded away revealing a cobweb lined dark passage.

"I'll be damned we missed one," James said as he told Lily to begin organizing their group to go down this passage to freedom. "This passage hasn't been used in five hundred years, not since the siege of the Goblin King Ironfist. It is a sad day that it must find its use again." Dumbledore said mournfully. "Where does it let out? Sirius managed to find out that Hogsmead has already been overrun before the gorgon got him." James asked.

With a twinkle in his eye, though slightly dimmed, "Why it should be a very familiar place James. This passage was built by Godric Gryffindor as a last resort should the worst happen. Though courageous and battle hungry Godric was no fool; he knew that every general needs a plan for every possibility. Where else would it let out other than his own safe house in his hollow?" Dumbledore said.

"You have got to be kidding me, this thing goes all the way to Godric's hollow?" James exclaimed. "Yes, I'm sure my poor knees will be none to happy with me when this journey is over." Dumbledore said, "For now I must secure the doors more heavily to buy us some time, I am sure Tom will eventually get through but it should be enough. I'll go through last so I can close the passage. Now, get going my dear boy not a moment to lose!"

-x-

Harry had barely stepped onto the welcoming grounds of Avalon before one of his Dark Angels came running up to him looking distressed. "My Prince! The goblins have been calling you; they said that you must go to them right away! They refused to say why but the did say that a certain Grand Lady would tell you why." Harry didn't even bother to answer just rushed to Morgan le Fey's portrait without stopping to have his wounds healed.

He appeared quite frightful when he made it there, flushed, weak with blood loss and the magical exhaustion. "Well, aren't you a fright. I guess I was right then to suspect you were the one that finally wiped that virus of a species from this planet." Morgan said lightly. "Yes, I did. Now what do the Goblins' want? I am quite spent at the moment." Harry replied. "That is the point dear one, you have proven yourself ready to become my heir, and you are ready as you are to receive my gift. Go to the Goblins I will be waiting for you there." She said as she went.

Though he was beyond exhausted Harry knew he couldn't waste the opportunity so he made his way to the goblins resigned. When he got there the goblins were strangely quiet and polite. If Harry had been more alert he would have been more off put by it but he was too tired to be bothered at the moment. They lead him to a chamber deep within the bowels of their bank and left him there.

The chamber was strangely empty it just had a stone altar that was covered in runes, seeped in magic, a woman laid stiffly on top of it pale from death and Morgan's Portrait hung above it on the wall. "Who is that?" Harry asked. "That my dear one was the last one that showed the potential to become my heir. He was the grandson of Cassandra but he failed the final test." Morgan replied. "What test?" Harry asked.

"The test of the altar, that altar holds all my magic, all my knowledge, when you laid down upon it there are only two things can happen. If you lay down and submit to the invasion of my power you will die. Your body will be transformed into what mine was in death and I will continue the search for an heir. If you lay down and manage to keep hold of yourself you will gain everything I can give. All my magic, all my knowledge, and all my power will be yours." Morgan said solemnly.

"Why did you bring me here weak like this then?" Harry asked. "You have to be weak to lay upon this altar, accepting my magic is painful and invasive if you were at full strength our magics would fight one another. It would surely destroy you." Morgan replied. "It is your choice, I will leave it to you." She said leaving him.

Harry sighed, walking up to the altar knowing he had no choice because he couldn't back down now. As soon as he touched the altar the body of the woman crumbled to ash and he laid down slowly upon it. His chest was still exposed and bleeding. He was wearing only a open robe, pants, shoes and blood. For a moment everything was still, and then the world exploded in pain. Harry was too weak to hold it in he screamed, long and loud, he screamed into the empty chamber his cries echoing off the bare walls.

-x-

"What is taking so long?" Voldemort demanded as he came upon the doors to the Hospital wing. "They have twenty layers of barrier from at least seven different people, it going to take time to get through if we don't want to crush them by collapsing the place." Leon said stiffly. "My Prince will want to take them alive, make them suffer for what they have done, so I will do as I know he wills it! I don't answer to you!" Leon growled. Voldemort stiffened, eyes narrowed he said, "You better kiss the ground your Prince walks on for it is only the accord I have with him that still me hand from taking yours."

Just as things were getting even more heated there was a great ripping sound as the layers of protection finally got torn down. "If you boys are done barking at each other we have a war to win gentlemen." Madeline said with a wicked smirk on her face. It was quickly wiped when she noticed the room was empty. "Where the _fuck_ did they go?" She screamed in frustration.

Voldemort stormed inside the room quickly casting an array of spells meant to reveal anyone who was hiding using magic but quickly came up empty. "There must be a secret passage in here somewhere, which means they are either in another part of the school or heading out onto the grounds. Tell them to enlarge the perimeter! They couldn't have gotten far! Tell the team in Hogsmead to start searching every building, if it lets out there we'll need to know!" Voldemort said yelling orders at his various Death Eaters.

-x-

There was a faint rumble above them making the already skittish group chatter with unease. "What was that, do you think?" Lily asked Mcgonagall. "I suspect there are giants or trolls moving above us, not a comforting thought," Mcgonagall replied accent thickened and slurring her words. Everyone was rightfully nervous; this was their only chance at escaping if this failed there would be no resisting the army awaiting them. Their fate would be sealed, Lily knew her own fate would probably not be very pleasant and James would most likely join her.

The group had 87 people, only 21 of them were capable of defending the whole group and if it came down to a fight the odds were against them. James was nervous, his youngest Clark was behind him, his wife was guarding the rear and they had no idea what was happening outside. "Why did you leave? What did the I.C.W. want?" James asked Dumbeldore trying to get some more information. "I am afraid there has been a mass strike against the Muggles, no one has claimed responsibility for it yet. At this moment it looks like most of the muggles have been wiped from the face of the earth. These are grave times, my dear boy, grave times." Dumbeldore said while putting up privacy charms so he didn't insight a panic.

"What do you mean _wiped out?"_ James exclaimed. "Just that my dear boy, there is no lasting evidence of muggles ever being upon this earth. Every muggle city, road, invention, book, everything! It all disappeared in the span of a few hours. There are rumors of some bands of them surviving and being herded around like cattle by unknown entities. But we haven't confirmed anything, all the muggle borns were sent to the various ministries. The English ones had been sent to France I had wondered why but now I suspect that whoever has done this is in league with Tom." Dumbledore said.

"What are we gonna do? If they can do that they can do anything how are we going to fight against something like that? Is it even possible to fight something like that?" James said wearily. "I know my dear boy, the path before is long, hard and filled with heartbreak. However, we must ask ourselves, do we do what is right or what is easy? Darkness has come to swallow us whole and we must face it, we must fight it! For if we don't we shall be turning our backs on the world, and all that we hold dear to our hearts in it." Dumbeldore said.

-x-

Morgan looked down at her heir, she had known he would be the one, but it was still reassuring seeing him remain him on the altar. He would be unconscious for a while more though but it would be well worth the wait for him. She had given him everything she could now the rest was up to him on what to do with it. The amount of magic he had was ridiculous now and he had the control to make every drop worth it.

When she had created the altar it had been because she wanted to leave something behind of herself…more than just her children. In her time they were already telling legends of Merlin, always he was painted the tragic hero and his misdeeds were always glossed over. Morgan had known then that she couldn't stand the thought of living in a world were no one knew as she had how truly twisted Merlin once was. She wanted someone to understand her horror, her grief, her hate; she wanted to leave a legacy behind that was more then a story told by her children.

Morgan had started the altar was a vessel to bestow her knowledge onto someone else but she eventually discovered that such a thing was not possible. At least not without giving them something else. Memories, even those preserved in stone fade and would die; but if she died giving up her memories along with her magic the sacrifice would ensure their survival. Her first and only failure had been trying to give this gift to her grandson.

That was when she had discovered the drawback of the stone, though she had been dead by then with no way to fix it. The altar only worked if you wanted the power but did not _need_ it. Her grandson had been a brilliant wizard but he couldn't have hoped to match her magically without gaining power from the altar. That was when she discovered how the altar would transform the one laying upon it into her replica if they failed. Harry was different, he wanted power, desired it, but did not need it to be powerful. He was powerful all on his own.

-x-

James looked around the manor; having never seen it before in his life and that was strange all things considered. He had lived in Grodic's hollow before and had never laid eyes on this sprawling place. "How has no one ever discovered this place?" James asked. "Simple my dear boy, the only way to get in is through this passage and another one that is across the way." Dumbledore said jovially. The teachers that had managed to escape with them were busy calming the students while Dumbledore decided how to go about setting up the place.

They had lost Severus in the mad scramble to the Hospital Wing, though James had been secretly glad for that. However, they had also lost Hagrid on the way, Sirius had gotten petrified, more then half the student body had not made it and only the teachers that had attended the ball had managed to come with them. Dumbeldore was concerned for his hidden Seer in the tower, but he couldn't do anything for her now. The battle lines had been drawn, a few of the order members had managed to survive the first wave and were making their way here.

Sadly Tonks had been captured but it was fortunate that happened before their location had been revealed to her. Now they needed to organize if they wanted to stand a prayer of striking back. They had no way to contact the outside for help and weren't likely to get any as it happened. Not with the chaos the destruction of the Muggle had caused, the I.C.W. was too bogged down from trying to get a handle on the new situation. The darkness seemed to be creeping in from all sides, and it made many wonder how they could have lived so ignorant of it in the light.

How could this have happened? How could this darkness settle on them as if it had been there all along? The laughter, the ease, the petty problems, the small fights, the joy, the careless freedom, that all seemed so distant in this dark. How did this happen? Many of the children were already sobbing quietly huddled in groups seeking comfort. But there was one in the group, which was quiet, that had a frown but her eyes were dry. No one paid her much notice, they never had until Tristen had taken notice and away from him no one noticed her anymore.

Her Hair was frizzing slightly, her skin didn't feel as smooth anymore, the further she had gone from him the more beauty seemed to drain away from her. Hermione frowned, eyes narrowed, thinking about the whispered rumors flying around. Hermione knew that this was war, that her parents were very likely dead, that life as she knew it was most likely gone and yet she couldn't find it in her to care. No one had known, or even asked, about her parents. If they had they would have known that her parents and her had never gotten on all that well.

They didn't understand before she had known she was a witch, getting that added on had only added to her problems with them. They were distant with each other and no one had ever moved to close that gap. So, no she didn't mourn her parents being gone. The life before this? Well, the life before this had only been filled with sneers and bad treatment for being more intelligent then others. So, no she didn't really care that the world was turning over into something completely new. In fact, she welcomed it.

What made her frown was that in the confusion she had gotten separated from the other Dark Angels and now she was in enemy territory. Hermione didn't think they would overlook her forever, so she had to plan her escape now while the chaos acted as her shield. If she managed this she knew her prince would be pleased, he would reward her for delivering to him the last of the rebellion on a platter. She bowed her head behind her hair to allow herself a moment to smile ever so slightly. Her prince would be pleased to get the chance at the ones that had hurt him before, that bitch Potter woman deserved everything coming to her.

-x-

Voldemort sat at in the throne he had erected in the great hall, the remaining students were sitting before him and everything was deathly quiet. Now if only His Harry would recover and join him everything would be perfect. Their forces combined were quickly overwhelming the entirety of England, soon it would be all theirs and then they would get the chance to take on the world! Hogsmead, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the Ministry had already fallen. It was only a matter of time before they had the remaining wizarding communities beneath them.

His red eyes glowed menacingly as Bellatrix approached his throne with a beaten looking Severus Snape in tow. "My lord, lookie lookie who I found hiding with some itsy bitzy babies!" Bellatrix squealed at him throwing Severus down at his feet. Voldemort was just beginning to contemplate what to do with his rogue spy when Madeline glided up to him to whisper in his ear, which he allowed only for the sake of Harry's relationship to her. "Give him to me my Lord Voldemort, he has trespassed against I would return the favor." Madeline whispered lowly.

It made Voldemort think of what Harry had done the remaining muggles and it pleased him to think of Severus suffering the same fate. He nodded and Madeline gave him a slow smile as she took the bloody Severus roughly by the neck dragging him from the great hall. Severus didn't even fight against allowing her to do as she pleased as she made a show of painfully dragging him to an empty classroom.

"I hadn't taken you for a dunderhead Severus but I have been proven wrong before." Madeline said as she roughly pushed him down in a chair. She placed her hands on his head with more force then necessary and he flinched as she began chanting under her breath. He sighed in relief as his wounds began to heal, though he still felt bruised and stiff when she stopped. "Why are you doing this?" His voiced cracked a bit as he asked. Madeline's eyes narrowed, "Because against all reason and rational thought I have come to care for you Severus. For all your faults, _stupidity_, and brazen foolishness I find you hopelessly attractive."

"Now, I would have you answer me this, what could you have possibly done to that bitch Potter that you would feel so guilty for? Enough to forsake me in your ploy for forgiveness!" She hissed at him in anger fingers clenching tightly into his hair. "When I was a boy, Lily and I were friends…my only friend. She meant everything to me; my father was a hateful man and a spiteful muggle. My mother was a pure blood witch that _allowed_ him to lay hands on us…frequently and with vehemence." Severus began slowly eyes refusing to leave the ground.

"I told Lily about her magic, before Hogwarts things between us had always been easy and simple. However, when began to attend here we were sorted into separate houses that had a known rivalry. Lily had caught the eye of that damnable Potter and he didn't like how close we were. He tormented me with his friends for _year_ and one day he did something unforgivable. He used one of my own spells against me, a spell I had only taught to _Lily_." He took a moment to compose himself.

"When she came to my aid, I was so furious at her, at what she had done that I called her a mudblood. From that moment on she refused to talk to me, to forgive me, I turned to the Dark Lord and spent my life fighting so my childhood would not repeat itself. Then one day years later a overheard a prophecy, saying that the Dark Lord's equal was to be born…I didn't get a chance to hear it all. It was only after I relayed the information that I found out that Lily's child was one of the candidates." His fists clenched in his lap and his voice wavered.

"For everything we once were, for our old friendship, I went to Dumbeldore to warn him about the Dark Lord's plot in an effort to protect her. I became a spy for her, I begged the Dark Lord to spare her and he did. But the damage had been done, I had cost Lily her child, and she made sure I never forgot my debt to her." Severus said morosely. Madeline kneeled in front of him and took his clenched hands into her own. "Look at me Severus," When he refused to do so she tilted his face to make him. "I want you to understand something, you owe that bitch nothing! You have paid your debts a thousand times over and you have more then proven yourself a good man." She said passionately.

"Only a fair weather friend would abandon you over a careless insult in a heated moment. It sounds to me that Lily is not worth the pain you have suffered at her hand, she is not worthy of you Severus. It is time you let her go, she may have been a balm for you in the past but she has long since turned into a poison! Stop this foolishness you Dunderhead! It is time to move on to bigger things," Madeline said lowly, seductively, "better things." She said huskily as she captured his lips with her own. She kissed him with all her fury, her frustration, her devotion, her forgiveness, and her burning passion. He collapsed into her like a man dying of thirst in the desert and she was a pool of clear water.

-x-

Harry rubbed a hand lightly over his new horrific looking scar on his bare chest, humming a tune. He walked stiffly out into the field that was once London, the grass fluttered in a pleasant breeze and the trees swayed in a silent dance. His eyes glowed with power, he was filled with it, and he felt stretched unpleasantly at the seams as he tried to contain it inside of himself. Morgan's memories and magic were a storm inside of him raging to get out. Her hate, it was still as deep, as unquenchable as it had been thousands of years ago and it was mixing with his own dying to be unleashed.

It was as he looked out across his newly formed world her was coming to the desolate realization that there was barely anything left for him anymore. What does one do when one fulfills a lifelong ambition? For a very long time Harry had thought that if he killed them all, if he made them suffer, if he brought all that pain back onto them that his own desolation would end. That he would find a light in this endless darkness and his life would find meaning. Seeing all his ambitions realized made him have to come to copes with the fact that the gnawing emptiness inside of him wasn't filled with this.

The hate he felt swelled making him more angry than he had ever thought he could be, it made him want to lash out at the world and he pulled on the connection he felt with his elite Dark Angels. Their various runes flared to life, they hissed with pain as they were dragged forcefully to his side. They fell down on their knees before him, silent, feeling his fury as if it were their own. Lightly he plucked the ones he wanted into motion and soon instruments surrounded him. He began to sing.

**(Until the End by Breaking Benjamin)**

**So clever, whatever, I'm done with these endeavors****  
****Alone I'll walk the winding way **_here I stay_**  
****It's over, no longer, I feel it growing stronger****  
****I live to die another day, until I fade away****  
**

Against all odds he was alive, with everything that had been thrown at him somehow he had survived. He could feel that emptiness growing stronger inside of him, threatening to consume him and he found that he didn't feel like giving in just yet. There was still things left for him to do.

**Why give up? Why give in?  
It's not enough, it never is  
So I will go on until the end  
We've become, desolate  
It's not enough, it never is  
But I will go on until the end  
**

His Dark Angels were becoming a part of him now, extensions of himself; they were his most precious possession. They played for him; they joined him willingly inside this desolation and lived inside this darkness for him. Harry knew he had to see this path to the end, he still had people who needed to pay.

******Surround me, it's easy, to fall apart completely****  
****I feel you creeping up again **_In my Head_**  
****It's over, no longer, I feel it growing colder****  
****I knew this day would come to end, so let this life begin****  
**

This pit of black nothingness would try to take everything from him, nibbling at him slowly so he doesn't notice it always lurking there at his edges. But Harry was looking for it, looking for that darkness because that was his home. He had been cast out of the light a long time ago and has found welcome in the shadows.

**Why give up? Why give in?  
It's not enough, it never is  
So I will go on until the end  
We've become, desolate  
It's not enough, it never is  
But I will go on until the end  
**

Harry raised his hands, pushing out all that hate, all the excess magic, all those emotions he couldn't understand, he pushed it out and a whole open up above him. It was dark, consuming all the light surrounding them until there was nothing left surrounding it. Harry kept pushing, and it just kept growing.

******I've lost my way****  
****I've lost my way****  
****But I will go on until the end**

When it was big enough that it turned the dawn back in on itself making it seem as if the night would never end it started to collapse into itself. ****

**Living is, hard enough, without you fucking UP...****  
**

The truth was there was no one Harry was angrier with, then himself, how did his life turn out this way? What was so wrong with him that he couldn't be like everyone else? What was so wrong with him that everyone could is it so plainly? Some were attracted to the darkness inside of him, some were so repulsed by it they would lock him away, but it didn't change the fact that somehow he had fucked up somewhere.

**Why give up? Why give in?  
It's not enough, it never is  
So I will go on until the end  
We've become, desolate  
It's not enough, it never is  
But I will go on until the end  
**

Nothing was ever enough, he destroyed the entire world as he knew and created a new one, yet he remained unsatisfied. He could kill everyone in the world, in the universe, he could destroy everything that ever exists but that hungry hollow place in his heart would remain.

**I've lost the way  
I've lost the way  
But I will go on until the end  
**

He had started walking down this dark path that day, that day he had taken the knife from that kitchen and pressed it into the skin of his fat horrible Uncle. He had stepped out onto that road looking for a breath of life for himself away from the darkness that he had always known in that house. Harry had been looking for that light, that hope, that innocence, like looking up from a deep dark pit at the bright light of freedom.

**The final fight I win  
The final fight I win  
The final fight I win**

The worst thing in the world is being trapped in that darkness, trying to move closer to that light of freedom only to find for every step you take that light was that much more further away. That was fine; if he could no longer be a part of the light in the universe anymore he would sure as hell share this darkness. He would spread his darkness until the entire universe was engulf in it, so they would understand what it is to look at the light from inside it and know how terrible that is. ****

**But I will go on until the end**

The darkness above him was squeezed down into nothing more then a gem the size of a teardrop and dropped down into Harry's outstretched hands. It was small, pulsing to the rhythm of his heart and magic. Small but powerful, the most terrible yet beautiful thing that anyone could ever lay eyes on. The symbol of the endless hunger inside Harry's heart.

**A.N.: and that's a wrap people! Please feel free to let me know what you think and motivate me! Lol The next Chapter: Dear Agony is in the works look for it! **


	19. Dear Agony

"**And he asked him, What is thy Name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."**

**A.N.: the songs featured in this chapter do not belong to me. As always I would recommend listening to them as they appear in the story. They are both Breaking Benjamin: Into the Nothing, and Dear Agony **

**Chapter 19: Dear Agony **

Dumbeldore had never felt his age as much as he did now looking at the remains of his Order and thinking of the events of the last three weeks. In one night everything they had fought so hard to protect had been shattered in a moment of fire and ash taking more then just the muggle world. The tide was turning against them, steadily rising to drown them in their mistakes and the worst of it was that they had never saw it coming.

James and Lily had shared their memories of that night with him; what he had seen was beyond disturbing. The glimpse of the horrific scars on Harry's body had been a devastating blow and hinted at a past that had lead him down the dark path. It pained him to know that he may have very well set to motion the downfall of all that was right in the world that night oh so long ago. That was nothing in comparison to listening to Harry claim responsibility for the destruction of an entire race of people and the enslavement of the survivors.

Dumbeldore was quite sure he could live a thousand more years and still not forget the coldness of that boy's voice as he announced his group over the wizarding radio.

"…some know me as Tristen Winter, others as Prince Le Fey, but I was born Harry Potter. I am here to tell the world that I have done what countless wizards and witches have claimed impossible! I have reclaimed the world for all of Magic! I have destroyed the cancer that had threatened to consume everything and slowly kill us all! I have given you a world that we no longer have to hide in fear!"

He remembered how James had bristled, indignant at first but then slumping as if some great weight had suddenly pressed down on him with fantastic force.

"…_and we have been afraid! Don't try to fool yourself thinking that we were the ones in control all along. No! We were hiding, slowly allowing the muggle trash to kill us! So afraid of being discovered that our children couldn't use magic freely, so afraid that we hide like rats! Well no more! The world is ours now! I have given it to you! Its yours now, __**take it!**__ Some will say that I am a monster, that my Dark Angels are mindless followers of a Dark Lord but I will show you the glory of the Dark! I will show you the shadows that you are so afraid of so that I might liberate you from your fears!"_

Lily had gotten so depressed after hearing her son that day that she hadn't spoken since and not even James seemed to be able to shake her out of it. James himself had mixed feelings, as an auror, as a soldier, he knew he had to keep himself focused if they wanted to stand a chance. But the father in him was so overwhelmingly both angry and sad that he didn't know what to do with himself. He had thrown himself in trying to bluster their ranks reaching out to the countries outside of Britain.

That was a blessing because even though the other communities had refused to give them more add than sending supplies there was some that answered the call. They were trickling in slowly, risking much sneaking into the country in occupation but the displaced muggle borns had a fire inside of them. The muggle borns had experienced the annihilation of the muggle world, they had seen the horrors, and they had heard the cries of their loved one knowing they could do nothing to help. That had put a fire inside of them, they wanted revenge, and they wanted to fight!

It was slow going, but gradually their ranks were swelling. The whole process was very dangerous for if the enemy were to take wind of their location before they were ready all would be lost. They just didn't have the numbers for a counter strike yet but soon they would be ready. Fawkes had managed to bring him everything he would desperately need from his office and had proven invaluable in getting new recruits to their base.

Dumbledore was under no illusion, they were at war and the lines had been drawn. Harry would seek to subject the entire world to his and Voldemort's madness. Dumbledore couldn't allow that to happen because who knows what sort of world that would bring about. He was already getting some disturbing reports from the muggle borns that had tried to locate the surviving muggles. Large masses have been given the vampire, werewolf, elemental, and various creature clans. There were confirmed sighting of the werewolves raping and subjecting the muggle women to accelerated pregnancies.

One muggle born woman had related the horror of stumbling upon a werewolf raping one of the young muggle girls, who couldn't have been more then ten. She had tried to save the girl but the collars around their bodies kept the muggle from even thinking of trying to escape and the muggle born woman had come to join them soon after. So much horror, so much pain, and Harry hadn't even gotten started yet. With Harry at Voldemort's side they were capable of unimaginable horrors. The only thing holding them back was this small resistance army that refused to sit back and let this horror happen.

-x-

Clark gripped his pillow tightly not caring much as he heard the slow rip of the fabric to lost in his own thoughts. He had come to the conclusion that it was _her_ fault, Suzie Forester; it was _**all**_ her fault. He remembered her cry of 'brother!' He remembered finding out that his older brother had been before him that entire year and he hadn't had a clue. But _she had!_ Clark was certain that if he had known that Tristen or Harry or whatever had known that they were brothers things would be different.

All his life his Mother and Father had told him stories about Harry. How they imagined he was spending his time and how much he would love him when they met! Clark had been looking forward to that meeting all his life, and now every hope he had was dashed cruelly upon the rocks. It wasn't fair! It had to be _that_ _**girl**_! It was all Suzie's fault. Clark had known there was something wrong with that girl the moment he had laid eyes on her.

Suzie must have been the one turning Harry against them all because she wanted him all to herself. She wasn't even his real sister! Harry shouldn't love her; he should love Clark and be his big brother! Clark felt the fabric in his hand give with a loud _**RIPP**_ and imagined it was Suzie's neck instead. That calmed him down a bit and that gave Clark pause. If Suzie were dead, gone, then there would be no one standing between Harry and his family. Harry would come back! A rush of excitement flowed through Clark at the thought. If Clark killed Suzie, Harry would come home, their mom would wake up from her sadness and everything would go back to normal!

All it would take would be killing one stupid useless girl that no one cared about anyway. Without her Harry would open his eyes and love them again! In fact, Clark was sure that the reason Harry was so bad was because Suzie was drugging him with potions or casting the imperious on him! She was evil! He had to save his big brother from that evil witch! He had to, because if he didn't it would mean giving up on everything his parents had ever told him about his brother. Clark couldn't do that, giving that up would be like giving up on everything he had thought he had known about the world!

-x-

Hermione was nervous, her plan was risky and had a lot more holes in it then she was entirely comfortable with. However, she didn't have much choice if she wanted to escape from here and get back to her prince. Their enemies were gathering forces, every day more and more people were lead into the manor, and soon they would become a real threat. Mcgonagall was crafting golems, Mr. Potter was training the older students, and people were already starting to question her closeness to the dark side.

It would be risky, but there wasn't much else she could do. So Hermione waited until midnight, having watched the guard shifts for the last three weeks to learn their habits and shift changes. At midnight it would be a couple of seventh year students, and they got distracted easily being jumpy in their inexperience. She timed it so that her spell went off down the hall, making a loud sound to catch their attention. Hermione estimated that she had a minute tops before they regained their calm if she was lucky, she needed to use that time to slip past them with a notice me not and sound damping spells cast liberally around herself.

The bang went off, she ran as fast as she could back down the passageway slipping past the distracted guards and kept running as far as she was able. Never noticing the shimmer of displaced air that followed her closely behind, a shoe peeked out every so often as if from thin air. Hermione ran as hard as she could, taking in deep gulps of air and hoping that they still were short enough on fighters to not place guards inside the tunnel.

-x-

Harry watched Suzie inspect the room from the doorway while Tink chattered in his ear everything she had learned about the manipulative old coot. Suzie was determined to find the passage the remains of the rebels had to have used to escape, totally ignoring the fact that no one else had been able to as of yet. Tink had found out a lot of information, some of it irrelevant, but some was very interesting. It seems that the old coot was very close to finding the hiding spots of the remaining Horcrux that Tom had made and they would have to be moved or absorbed quickly.

Suzie was inspecting the fireplace very carefully when it fell away startling her enough to call out to Harry, who hurried to her in the office. He waited in the doorway of the office, wanting room to maneuver should it be needed and stared at the revealed passageway with intensity. Suddenly Hermione stumbled through, huffing and puffing as if she had run a very long way. Looking at the utter darkness of the tunnel Harry wouldn't be very surprised if she had.

When Hermione caught her breath enough to actually look at her surrounding she was stunned to find she had made it back. "Thank goodness!" She exclaimed collapsing on the floor. "My Prince I have so much to tell you!" she huffed breath still coming in pants. "You should catch your breath first silly!" Suzie said as she conjured Hermione a chair. "I assume you've been with the rebels this entire time," Suzie continued as she got Hermione some water by calling a house elf.

"Yes, they have been hiding out in Godric's Hollow! They're amassing an army filled with mostly muggleborns who feel wronged and angry." Hermione began. "Do you feel wronged, Hermione?" Harry asked quietly, eyes glowing. Hermione gulped some water before answering, "Of course not, I wouldn't be here otherwise. What you did was liberate an entire species from an oppressive force! You gave this world a chance at a new life. I have lived in the muggle world most of my life, I know what it was like not only for people like us but for the planet in general." Hermione said.

"The muggles were a step away from destroying earth as it is! Pollution, over consumption of its natural resources, deforestation, mass hunger, oppression of anything abnormal, and that's just the tip of a very big problem. The muggles have been close to nuclear war multiple times, something that could have killed us all and the entire planet! So am I angry or feel wronged by you wiping that big problem out! Hell no! You gave us a chance!" Hermione said passionately.

"And your parents?" Harry asked. "My parents and I have never gotten on very well. We lived together, they provided me with everything I needed, saw to it that I was healthy and got the things I wanted most. But they were distant, they couldn't understand me long before they found out I was a witch and just thought I was gifted intelligently. Adding magic into the mix, along with being away from them most of the year, well, is it any wonder that I wasn't very attached to them?" Hermione said logically.

Suzie nodded patting her hand gently saying, "Totally understandable, and very well thought out Hermione! I expected nothing less!" "What else did you find out about the rebels?" Harry asked coolly. "They are making golems to fight your creatures, I know the guard shifts at the entrance to the base but that will change soon when they notice my absence. Dumbledore has been planning something big, I haven't been able to find out any details but it involves getting to Voldemort first. He has been using his phoenix to run errands for him." Hermione said disappointed she didn't have more for them.

Suzie turned thinking she had heard something from the entrance, but turned around when she saw nothing there. "We should gather the others now ahhhhh!" she screamed as something hard and sharp pierced through her back bursting out her chest with a shower of blood. For a moment time seemed to stop, Harry's eyes widened in disbelief, Hermione screamed, and Clark slowly came into view as an invisibility cloak fell to the floor at his feet. Suzie moaned in pain, shock, the feeling of hotness running down her back and her front as blood escaped her.

Clark absently thought that it felt strange to stab someone with a sword, it took more force then he thought to get it to go all the way through. Everything sped up again as Harry flung him against the wall, cracking Clark's head against the stone wall knocking him unconscious and he grabbed Suzie before she could fall. Suzie gurgled, blood welling up and spilling out between her lips. She was smiling at Harry as he frantically tried to figure out how to save her.

The Blade was a cursed sword, he couldn't remove it without destroying the curse and by that time Suzie would have died already. Instead he tried valiantly to heal the damage as it was done around the blade to keep her alive. He cradled her in his arms as he slid to the floor, healing her as she was dying giving her a few more moments as more and more blood drained away. "Don't leave me, not yet Suzie, not yet…"Harry whispered into her hair as he rocked her. "You weren't supposed to die before me…don't go…"He whispered eyes never leaving her face and magic trying to stop the inevitable.

Suzie smiled gently as she coughed up more blood, hissing in pain as the action jarred the sword inside of her, she struggled to raise her bloody hand. Harry grabbed her half raised hand pressing it into his face, faintly feeling the coolness of the blood sliding wetly across his cheek. Suzie struggled to stay, Harry could only do so much, wheezing she choked out, "I…love…you…don't…give…in…promise…" She tried to say something more but it was too late. Harry's magic was unsuited to healing, the curse sword was too close to her heart, and had run through his locket, there was just not enough time. Suzie's hand went slack, her eyes emptied of all that was her, and Harry sat in shocked disbelief.

It had all happened so fast, too fast for him to stop it and save her. "Suzie," Harry mumbled desperately shaking her, "Suzie wake up." Harry knew those eyes, he had made those eyes in countless people, but on Suzie it was all wrong. Suzie wasn't meant to have nothing behind her eyes, she was supposed to outlive everyone and die old in her sleep. She wasn't supposed to be broken, bloody, run through with a sword, so young, so fragile and so broken. He hugged Suzie close to his chest, mumbling under his breath as he rocked her body in his arms, and then something inside him snapped. Harry screamed, long, loud, a scream that he had been holding in all his life, a scream of desperate loss.

-x-

Voldemort felt Harry's anguish before he heard it along with that scream made his stomach drop through the floor and feel as if ice water ran through his veins. He flew to the sound, fearing what he would find when he got there. The scene he ran into was something he hadn't thought he would ever see, Harry holding a girl in his arms screaming in grief. Voldemort had thought him too detached for such a thing but his agony called to him.

He knelt behind him encircling Harry and the girl into his arms as he pressed himself against Harry's back. "Shh, quiet my soul," Voldemort said as his arms tightened around them. "It will be alright, they will pay, all this suffering you are feeling is nothing compared to what they will soon feel, shh," Voldemort whispered into his ear and gradually Harry's screams faded. A dead, jaded look entered his hard green eyes making them seem as if they had been cut from emeralds.

Harry turned his attention from the girl in his arms to the boy that laid crumpled on the ground not to far away. Voldemort followed his gaze, "We will see to him personally, he will beg for death, we will skin him alive and string him up by his muscles. By the time we are done, there will be nothing left of that boy and only a sobbing insane broken thing will remain." Voldemort continued to whisper into his ear all that they would do to Clark and Harry wrapped himself up in his words.

Harry had to be cold now; he had to think about his revenge because if he thought about anything else there would be no going back. "Dumbeldore knows about your Horcrux, how many I don't know," Harry began slowly, "Absorb all but one or two, then hide them were no one will ever think of finding them. Away from anything you ever associated with." Voldemort nodded ever so slightly in agreement. "They are building an army, but we will not give them the chance to fight back. We gave them time to hope, now its time to crush them, Hermione knows where they are hiding, and it is time we crushed them!" Harry hissed.

"Yes, I do believe you are right," Voldemort smirked at the thought, "Dumbeldore is mine." "Leave the Potters to my mercy," Harry replied coldly. They had to pay, they all had to pay, and Harry would make sure they would regret the day they betrayed him. "Come, we will lay the girl to rest in honor, and then we must plan." Voldemort said as he urged Harry to stand. Harry nodded casting cold eyes on Hermione, "You will come to the meeting to lay out what you know." It was not a request and Hermione hastily stood nodding. Harry grabbed Clark by an ankle with a flick of his magic and began dragging him along the ground after them.

-x-

The scream was faint, but the nervous seventh years heard it as if it was right next to them. One ran off to get Dumbeldore and the other stayed behind sweating bullets. Dumbledore went to investigate while James began taking a roll call of everyone inside the safe house. James paled immediately when he failed to locate his son Clark, and another girl named Hermione around his age. Hoping they hadn't gotten into anything foolish James went to join Dumbledore at the passageway.

Dumbledore had already begun to collapse the tunnel, not wanting to take any chances that the enemy had gained access and would try to invade. They had kept it open in the hopes of using it as a way to form a sneak attack directly into enemy territory. It was too late now because the same could happen to them now if the tunnel remained open. "We must begin to prepare for a counter attack we cannot wait any longer I fear our time here is short," Dumbledore began as he moved through the mansion getting the troops moving and the children prepare to go into hiding.

-x-

Harry was unmoved by the screams as he slowly skinned the boy before him, making sure that he was numb enough to not die from the shock but not numb enough that he didn't feel as every inch of skin was peeled back. When Harry was sure that the he had gotten every inch of skin, the boy was staring at him with lidless eyes, he forced a potion down his throat to grow back the boy's skin. Growing back the skin was even more painful but Harry made sure the boy wouldn't lose consciousness. He had to feel every moment of this, because the boy had taken something from him that couldn't be replaced.

He stepped slightly to the side when the skin was regrown and dipped his head to Voldemort. Voldemort grinned wickedly as he opened the boy's stomach very carefully and started to pull out his intestines. The screaming wasn't enough, it wasn't enough, that boy had taken something and his screams weren't enough to pay for it. Harry broke into the boy's mind violently, twisting the mind easily, showing him all he had ever been frightened of and forcing him to relive it beside his current horror.

Suzie had been more valuable to him then a few screams, Harry had to make sure that her murderer was properly punished. Voldemort cast the crucio while he slowly cut off his fingers and toes. He stemmed the blood flow, and then burned each wound closed slowly with a careful deliberate manner. Harry wasn't sure how many days they had been doing this, hurting, healing, hurting, healing, but it was just not enough. "I think we should do this in a more public setting, broadcast his screams over the wireless and show everyone what happens to those that take from us." Harry said in a dry tone. Voldemort grinned at him wickedly and kissed him soundly putting some life back into his jaded cold eyes.

-x-

Lily shook as the screams resounded through the wireless, and pressed her hands over her ears trying to keep the sound out. "_…Mr. Potter took something from me, its seems he doesn't like the price he has to pay. I have decided to be merciful; I'll give Mr. Potter back to his family if his father comes to take his place. This offer will expire at the end of the day when Mr. Potter does…"_ The screaming came back in full force before a shaking voice came on the wireless.

"…_Julie Lanchaster here to provide commentary for the esteemed Dark Lords_…" A loud inhuman shriek interrupted_, "The Dark Lord La fey has begun skin Mr. Potter again, while the Dark Lord Voldemort has begun breaking…_" Her voice was cut off as James violently threw the wireless into a wall and moved to leave their new hideout with their old home in Godric's Hollow. Only to be tackled by no less then three other Order members as they tried stopping him. "They will kill you both!" "Giving into those mad men will do nothing!" "We can't afford to lose you too!" Lily whimpered as she rocked trying to forget the sound of her baby screaming and drown out the sound of the others arguing.

-x-

As the sun went down it bathed the steps of the Ministry in an orange glow highlighting the blood spilled throughout the day. Harry looked at the ruin body of Clark Potter and felt this overwhelming sense of emptiness. It wasn't getting any better, even after torturing Clark in the most creative ways he could think of it didn't help. Harry sighed as he cut the boy's head off, mounting it on a spike. He put several charms and curses on it along with the body that he had crucified next to the head. It would remain fresh looking and no one would be able to take them down from their mounts.

His heart felt tight, heavy in his chest as he thought of Suzie, and he felt a heavy making moving his body feel as if it was an extreme effort. Suzie had taken a piece of him with her to the grave and Harry was beginning to think it was a very important piece. Suzie had always been there; humming in the back of his mind connected to his magic through the locket and seemingly close. Now the locket, the connection, the humming that had been Suzie, all these things were gone. He had taken responsibility for her, Suzie had been _his_ to protect, _his_, and now she was nothing. Nothing, just an empty corpse awaiting burial, and the thought made everything in this world worthless.

Harry had done almost all he had set out to do, he had conquered the muggles, he had established Voldemort as the ruler of Britain and soon they would crush the last of the rebellion. What was left for him to do? Voldemort didn't need him, and Harry only held on for the remains of Tom inside of Voldemort. Harry knew he was connected to Voldemort, their fates had always been intertwined, and he supposed he held on since he had that at least. He had Voldemort.

He returned to Hogwarts with Voldemort, Harry wasn't sure what it was that had made his emptiness so unbearable lately but it was beginning to suffocate him. He watched as Voldemort rolled the compressed, material piece of his magic in his hands and suddenly Harry needed to feel something very desperately. He grabbed Voldemort as soon as they reached their chambers and soon Voldemort took control of the situation.

Voldemort kissed him violently, pulling him in and crushing his form against his own. A small spark of something lit in his chest as Harry pressed against him. As Voldemort began dominating him, Harry felt something lift as his choices were steadily taken from him and he was left blissfully submissive. Voldemort wasn't kind, wasn't careful, and took what he wanted from him forcefully without any consideration on his part. Harry liked it, he was tired of thinking of life, he was tired of being the one to make the decisions and he needed this more than he wanted to admit.

Ever since he had first touched Voldemort's horcux all those years ago there had been this sense of kinship and understanding between them. When you have suffered long enough, been beaten down long enough, been living in a dark place full of hate long enough you begin to see more of the world than one would like. The world is ugly, cruel, and doesn't hesitate to hurt even the youngest more innocent of victims. There was only power, no good, no evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.

Either you were the one hurting others or they were hurting you. There is no middle ground, and you have to choose: be the Prey or become the Predator. When Tom was small he learned this lesson as well as Harry had when he had been young. Nothing was wrong; you could never go too far or hurt enough. Because there was nothing more infuriating then seeing people not understand what it is to suffer. Why should Tom or Harry have to suffer so, while watching everyone else smile as if the world were _**fair and nice**_. No this was the path they had chosen, and soon the entire world would see what it is to suffer. They would begin to understand that there is no light only the darkness.

-x-

Dumbledore tensed as he felt the enemies wards fall down on top of their own, looking out across the village he couldn't help but feel that they would never be ready for this face down. They were outnumbered, but not as much as they had been at the beginning maybe there was hope yet. Soon, he feared that no one would be able to recognize Godric's Hollow after today. James was tense at his side clutching the sword of Gryffindor like a lifeline and Lily was at his side resolute looking with her wand at ready.

At their back was a thousand wizard and witches strong, along with a few thousand Golems, and what Magical creatures they managed to muster to their side. They were dressed in light colors; all on their side were wearing a red phoenix badge spelled to remain untouched so they could cut down on friendly fire. They had enough problems without accidentally taking each other out in the heat of battle. Across the Village the Dark Lords' armies were amassing, gorgons screeched at the front, werewolves howled, fire elementals flared wreathed in flames. Voldemort stood at the front with his Death Eaters flanking his sides, and Dumbledore could just make out Harry in the back gathering his own Dark Angels around him.

The muggleborns tensed when they heard the instruments begin to play and Harry's voice rang out clear as day across the Village. Dumbledore began gathering his magic along with the closest members of his order in preparation for whatever Harry had planned casting musically.

**Screaming on the inside****  
****I am frail and withered****  
****Cover up the wounds****  
****That I can't hide****  
****Walls that lie between us****  
****The saint within the sinner****  
****I have lost the nerve****  
****But it's all right****  
****Carry the wounded and shut your eyes****  
****All will be forgiven****  
****None will rise****  
****Bury the fallen and lead the blind****  
****I will fight the loss****  
****Dead inside****  
**

The screaming at the back took them as a surprise as the ones that had been a part of the muggle wipe out tragedy began to panic. Dumbledore could see bands flare into sight around their throats; many began to desperately claw at it drawing blood and creating mass panic.

******Into the nothing****  
****Faded and weary****  
****I won't leave and let you fall behind****  
****Live for the dying****  
****Heaven hear me****  
****I know we can make it out alive****  
**

They fell to their knees, some rolled on the ground still trying to fight while others seemed to have given up entirely. One began screaming, "Get out of my head!" another yelled, "You killed my family!" and yet another started sobbing openly mumbling apologizes over and over.

******Leave me at the bottom****  
****I am lost forever****  
****Letters from the dead****  
****Say goodbye****  
****Sorrow falls upon us****  
****This will be the last time****  
****Days begin to end****  
****But I'll get by****  
****Follow the hopeless****  
****And shut your eyes****  
**

There wasn't time to help them the gorgons were being held back the golems but the others were breaking through. Spells lit up the sky; clouds began to form over their heads as the high concentration of magic charged the air. Voldemort stepped out calmly sliding through the battle towards him as if he was strolling through a park.

******All will be abandoned****  
****None will shine****  
****Gather the broken and leave this life****  
****Lying in the earth****  
****Side by side****  
**

The sickening thud of bodies hitting the floor, Lily was covering his back as he faced off against a pack of werewolves that were circling him. Sirius was trapped behind the fire elementals trying to join them but the enemy wasn't giving him the chance. Screams, the smell of blood, the horrible thump of flesh giving away to his sword, and James couldn't help thinking that this was _**WAR**_.

******Into the nothing****  
****Faded and weary****  
****I won't leave and let you fall behind****  
****Live for the dying****  
****Heaven hear me****  
****I know we can make it out alive****  
**

Some of the muggle borns were still fighting against the voice singing to them but some just couldn't fight it. Soon their allies began to turn against them, and began attacking from within their ranks at their back. James cursed, this war was much different then the one he had fought before. Thinking of those scattered skirmishes, the late night calls, the mysterious disappearances, James almost thought that that hadn't been _**WAR**_, because this was much, much worse.

******I'll keep you inside****  
****Where I lead you cannot follow****  
****Straight into the light****  
****As my breath grows still and shallow****  
**

Voldemort lashed out with a whip of flame, Dumbledore countered with his own of water, clashing the battlefield filled with steam making the experience more hellish. You couldn't see friend or foe, only hear the screams while smelling the overwhelming stench of blood. A huge Stone Golem slammed down a foot, shaking the earth and crushing a gorgon under its heel. Minerva made it to Dumbledore's side, transfiguring a small stone into a lion that charged in taking a killing curse meant for him.

******Into the nothing****  
****Faded and weary****  
****I won't leave and let you fall behind****  
****Live for the dying****  
****Heaven hear me****  
****I know we can make it out alive****  
**

The ground broke under their feet; James and Lily made it to Dumbledore's side. Sirius was busy dueling a cackling Bellatrix, Shaklebolt was dead, Tonks was injured pretty badly and Remus was trying to keep her from dying. The music seemed to mix with the screams, the sound of battle and became much more terrible.

******Stay with me****  
****You're all I have left****  
****I know we can make it out alive****  
****Stay with me****  
****You're all I have left****  
****I know we can make it out alive**

Harry finished the song, and started to make his way into the battlefield now that the muggle born that had been touched by his original spell were under his control. The wind elementals were pushing the steam off the battlefield while the waters were getting the injured on their side treatment. Then Harry saw something that stopped his heart for a moment, Voldemort was facing down Dumbledore, James, Lily, and Minerva. They had managed to push him away from his death eaters and Sirius was keeping them away using the golems.

His Dark Angels had already left his side to join the battle. Harry began making his way to Voldemort, cutting a path through the battle with horrifying ease and precision. Everyone who tried to stand in his way was killed before they could even pose much of an obstacle. Every so often he heard a twang of an instrument as someone from Noctiluca cast using it and soon a scream would follow. There was blood flowing on the ground, pieces of creatures, golems, and people littered the ground. A body that was mostly intact was seen occasionally having fallen to the killing curse but hadn't remain untouched as they were used as meat shields.

Harry was single mindedly cutting his way through the battle, tolerating no one. Voldemort might not need him but the sword in James Potter's hands was too close to the cursed sword that his son had wielded to take Suzie. James Potter would not take what was left of his attachments from this world, Harry would kill him first and he was determined to do just that. He faced Sirius Black first; he was a good dueler, light on his feet and very inventive on the uses of his spells. However, Harry had no time to humor him this day and simply used his magic to overpower him.

He pushed his will upon Sirius, making him experience in his mind everything he had ever feared while mixing in some of the experiences of his past victims. It wasn't so much a spell, as a manifestation of his will brought to life with magic and as such had no counter curses so Minerva couldn't help him. Though she was trying, desperately, to help him since it appeared she couldn't turn her back to his cries for help and his screams of pain. Surprisingly, James Potter was more focused on trying to get the upper hand in his own duel to turn to help his childhood friend. Harry trapped Sirius in his mind, putting him in a nightmarish coma that only he could wake him from before he turned his attention to Minerva.

She was a tough old bitty, transfiguring almost everything surrounding them into some kind of weapon that she used creatively against him. Harry was far more powerful, having the advantage of youth, and a wider repertoire of magic at his fingertips. He incased Minerva in crystal, freezing her in a living dead state that would not allow her to die but in turn keep her from living. She would be forced to see everything from her crystal, never being able to do anything but watch as the world around her went on while she remained. Harry thought it would be a horrible enough punishment; death was too sweet for any of these bastards. She would be insane soon.

Harry tuned as he felt a great stirring of magic, Lily Potter and Dumbledore where weaving a powerful curse together while James faced off against his Voldemort. Harry had finally made it through but the magic was thick, there was no good way to join the fight without distracting Voldemort at a critical moment. Lily Potter and Dumbeldore unleashed their curse; Voldemort raised a golden shield to keep it at bay while he tried to fight off James. The curse, whatever it was, wouldn't be held off for long and soon Voldemort would fall to one or the other.

Desperate Harry pushed his magic into Voldemort using the gem he had given Voldemort as a conduit to help with his shield. However, even with his help Voldemort was weakening, and soon Harry feared he would have to watch his lover die. He physically couldn't walk through this thick field of magic to help him; with the double layers of wards against apparition he couldn't just jump there either. Then he saw Voldemort fall to one knee, James poised the sword of Gryffindor above him and Harry screamed. He would not watch this again, Harry pushed with everything he had to apparate through the wards to Voldemort's side. For a heartbeat Harry thought it wouldn't be enough, then there was a horrible screeching sound and Harry was facing James.

It was so sudden, that Harry couldn't stop the sword as it sliced a hot trail across his stomach and he felt his guts begin to pool outside the cut. Harry pressed his hands against the wound trying to keep his organs inside as he fell into the awaiting arms of Voldemort. There was a great backlash of magic as the wards shattered, pushing Dumbledore and both Potters flat to the ground. Everything got very silent, the pops of his elite surrounding them rang in his ears as he tasted his blood and felt it gather in his mouth. Voldemort was trying to heal the wound, but the sword was goblin made having so much ancient magic that true healing would be impossible.

Harry thought it was ironic; that he should die much in the same way Suzie had and found he didn't particularly mind that much. He knew that living was never in his grand plan for things, dying this way would be preferable and he was almost content to just let go. Yet, there was a desperate look in the eye of his followers and Voldemort's that Harry couldn't understand. Then his eyes saw the glee on his father's face and Harry thought there was one thing left for him to do…take the fight out of the enemy so when he let go there would be no more resistance.

He coughed up the blood from his mouth to clear it, sent his will to his elite and their instruments flashed into existence around him. Harry smiled a bloody red smile, it was horrible to look at, and nodded at his most trusted. Voldemort wasn't taking his attention from the wound, still desperately trying to heal him, and he was succeeding enough that Harry thought he might last long enough…. The sad melancholy tone of the instruments began to play and Harry began to sing his last song.

**I have nothing left to give,****  
I have found the perfect end,****  
You remain to make it hurt,****  
Dissapear into the dirt,****  
**

All around people fell into a fog inside their minds, and they began to experience something very strange. It was as if they were watching, and experiencing his earliest memories as him as well as outside of him. At first there was just an impression of darkness, loneliness, a crushing hunger, the feel of spiders crawling on them and all they could see was his cupboard.

**Carry me to heavens arms,****  
Light the way and let me go,****  
Take the time to take my breath,****  
**

Then when they were adjusted to this horrible double vision enough to understand what it was they were seeing Harry began to show him his life under Vernon. Every beating, small at first, harsher as he grew, the crushing hunger, the maddening thirst, the darkness, they experienced every moment of it alongside him.

**I will end where I begin,****  
And I will find the enemy within,****  
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin,**

Harry felt it was almost funny that he should meet his death here, and he watched with satisfaction as the glee was wiped from James Potter's face as he watched the first beating done with Vernon's belt. Felt the sting of the blood, and heard the crack of the leather as it whipped through the air with force. They felt the desperation as the realization that if Harry stayed a day longer he wouldn't live to see the next. They felt the resolve inside him harden into something no child should feel…the cold resolution to _kill or __**be killed.**_ ****

Dear agony  
Just let go of me  
Suffer slowly  
Is this the way it's gotta be?  
Dear agony

Soon, they watched and felt what it was like sliding a knife across that fat fuck's neck. They felt his terror, watched in horror as it was done and then his escape. Then they were in the orphanage with him, hearing the taunts, feeling the knife slice through the flesh of his back while watching the words form. Harry was happy to show them his next set of murders, he wanted them to all know what it was like to suffer, to be in this agony alongside him. ****

Suddenly the lights go out,**  
Let forever drag me down,****  
I will fight for one last breath,****  
**

He let them see his rescue of Suzie, how careful he had been to take care of her, how pampered she had been and he let them watch as he manipulated the adults around him. Then they felt his rage, his horror, felt the terrible darkness open up inside as he watched the Potters the first day he had seen them. Harry watched the Potters as they realized, as they _understood_ just what they had done to him and he hoped Madeline killed them slowly.

**I will fight until the end,****  
And I will find the enemy within,****  
Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin,**

They watched, they experienced his life and he knew they were horrified. He could feel them try to deny it all and yet they could not deny the truth. Harry watched them as they experienced his life laid bare. ****

Dear agony  
Just let go of me  
Suffer slowly  
Is this the way it's gotta be?  
Don't bury me  
Faceless enemy  
I'm so sorry  
Is this the way it's gotta be?  
Dear agony

Harry allowed them to see it all, every victim that fell under his touch, every action, every pain; he let them watch every horror and hid nothing from them. They had to see it all, experience that spark of something as a woman screamed beneath him as his experiments ravaged her body. He made them watch that gay couple as they burned with their small daughter by the hands of muggles and the countless other cruel acts of muggles he had witnessed. ****

Leave me all alone  
God let me know  
I'm blue and cold  
Black sky will burn  
Love tore me down  
Hate lift me up  
Just turn around  
There's nothing left  
Somewhere far beyond this world  
I feel nothing anymore  


They heard his songs, understood their meanings, they walked beside him as he traveled further and further into the darkness. Harry sang on weakly as he watched as Dumbeldore seemed to get older and older with every word he sang. He showed them what it was like, what it felt like to tear down the muggle world and shape it into something beautiful. They felt what he did then, the hope he thought he was giving the world by taking down this terror. Finally he gave them what it felt like to watch as Clark killed Suzie, his Suzie, their Suzie, the one they had been so careful to take care of and establish in a loving home. Suzie that had been one of the two to hold the remains of his heart and felt the all-consuming emptiness of her absence.

**Dear agony  
Just let go of me  
Suffer slowly  
Is this the way it's gotta be?  
Don't bury me  
Faceless enemy  
I'm so sorry  
Is this the way it's gotta be?  
Dear agony**

Harry smiled as darkness started to crowd into his vision, he welcomed death now, he had done all he had set out to do and he would finally be embraced into sweet nothingness. Then he felt as Voldemort's magic washed over him, freezing time around him and with a dawning horror he realized that Voldemort was casting him into a void of time. Voldemort pressed the frozen gem of Harry's magic against Harry's chest as he cast the most powerful magic he had ever done. Slowly the blackness of the gem spread over Harry's body like liquid marble as it engulfed his body. When the spell was finished it looked as if someone had sculpted a statue of a fallen hero in black marble and it felt cold to the touch.

Voldemort knew that Harry would be safe from death inside the cast of marble, frozen in time at the edge of life and death he would not die or gain any more injuries. After that was finished, it was pathetically easy to dispatch the last of the enemies, most had given up entirely, the Potters and Dumbledore surrendered quietly allowing them to capture them without much of a fuss. It seemed the shock of living life as Harry had been too much for them.

It had done exactly what Harry had intended, it had taken the fight out of them seeing the pain they had brought onto the world. Lily Potter sat staring blankly ahead as Madeline viciously bound her laying her out on the ground. When it looked like Madeline would move to kill the witch Voldemort stepped in grabbing her arm to stop her from lashing out at her more. "What?! She deserves everything I will do to her!" Madeline hissed.

Voldemort looked her dead in the eye, "The Potters are promised to Tristan," he said simply.

Madeline slumped, "Will we even be able to save him?" she asked despondently.

"There is magic in this world that even the esteemed tutelage of Noctiluca does not dare to cover, I have searched the darkest corners of the earth to find them…Tristan is not lost to us…_not yet_." Voldemort said simply.

"I don't think he wants us to save him," Madeline said brokenly, "he is so lost…he welcomes death I think."

Voldemort hissed eye narrowed at her as he said scathingly, "His life is not his own…he is _**mine**_ and it is not his place to decide to let go of life. Only I have that privilege." He left her scooping up the marble statue that was the frozen Harry gently. Dumbledore had been stripped of his wand already and Voldemort barely paused to bind his magic so tightly within the old man that Dumbledore passed out from the trauma. As he walked away from the battlefield Harry's Dark Angels swarmed around him.

"What do we need to do?" one asked.

Voldemort barely glanced at them, "Simple…we save him." Voldemort said as he disappeared in a swirl of black mist.

**A.N.: Ahhh one more chapter to go before this whole thing comes to an end! It's been a wild ride! So here it is I hope it was worth the wait! I had been planning to just finish it this chapter but I decided to spilt it up so I could update this sooner! Please tell me your thoughts I love the feedback! **


	20. The End

"**All is not lost, the unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and the courage never to submit or yield."**

**A.N.: the songs in this Chapter are Sliver and Cold by AFI, A demon's fate by Within Temptation and a short piece Life is Beautiful by Sixx: AM I highly recommend listening to them while they play. **

**Chapter 20: The End**

Voldemort looked at across the great hall of Noctiluca and wondered not for the first time what would have happened had he gone here instead of Hogwarts. Here you could feel the magic seep up from the very ground to sink into your bones giving you magic even as the air stole your own away. This was a place of hallowed ground…not in that it was holy but in that it was a nexus of laylines and a geyser of magic in the world.

The hall was full to the bursting of carefully selected people, an entire orchestra of Noctiluca students able to weave their magic together, and Tristan's Dark Angels were at the center ready to guide the magic with an experienced hand. Madeline was not too far from the Dark Angels preparing the frozen body of black marble that was Tristan at the moment. Everything was in place for the ritual they just needed one more thing.

There was a screech that tore through the air as Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, appeared in a ball of steam. Tink, Tristan's Vixi, had managed to capture the beast but not without injury he saw. The little thing was half burned, half of its body was black and flaking…it looked like it could hardly move one of its legs. Still the Vixi kept the Pheonix chained down with water chains on the ground steam billowing up from where it touched the being of fire.

Voldemort smirked, good everything was in place for the two part ritual to begin, and he cast his eyes briefly to the tortured mess that had once been Albus Dumbledore. His one remaining blue eye was staring in heartbroken yearning at the Phoenix and Voldemort almost smiled. This would be the thing that broke that man once and for all…once he saw what he did to his precious beast there would be no going back for that old man.

The Dark Angels were restless, wanting their Master back more than they would ever admit and Voldemort smirked as he felt their collect magic reach out to the black marble in yearning. Truly the marks Tristan had gifted them with were real works of art, the runes were masterpieces in themselves, and when paired with the other mark…there were no words for that! Voldemort stepped beside the Fire Elemental and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Are you ready for this Leon?" Voldemort asked, because the willingness of the sacrifice was one of the most important parts of the ritual.

"I will give anything to have him back," Leon said simply as he stared at the frozen face of Tristan.

"Good," Voldemort said simply as he stepped back to get out of the runic circle surrounding the frozen Tristan.

Madeline was shifting uneasily close to his side, and Voldemort narrowed his eyes at her making her stop. She had been the one to protest the most about the ritual he had chosen to resurrect his little one. She said it was cruel; the '_game'_ he was playing with Tristan's life, in the end the woman simply loved the boy too much to stop him. Madeline was persuaded in the end by being the chosen vessel, but she was still weighed down by guilt.

Voldemort looked over everything with a critical eye, there could be no mistakes otherwise everything would be for not and it would all come to ruin. They were not only tapping into the power of well over thirty truly powerful magical people but into a very nexus of magic power of the world. There could be no mistakes.

There was three parts to the ritual they were performing today, on the summer solstice, and each part was just as important as the last. Voldemort had adapted it from a chanted ritual into a much more powerful and stable musical one that was more delicate in nature. It all centered on the willingness of the first and last sacrifices as well as the _unwillingness _of the second sacrifice. It was his greatest work yet and Voldemort was eager to see it come to fruition.

He had already absorb all of his remaining horcrux, the only piece of his soul to remain outside his body was the one frozen inside that black marble with Tristan. If it all went as flawlessly as he hoped both of them would gain true immortality through this one ritual. Voldemort smirked; truly he couldn't have planned this better because he knew that had Tristan not fallen that day he would never have consented to this ritual. However, as Voldemort had said before Tristan wasn't allowed to die until he had granted him permission…and Voldemort would _**never **_give him that.

Alucard was waiting outside on the shore, for his master's rebirth, he dared not be present during the ritual for fear of his very presence corrupting it. The ritual in itself was almost simple, but it was beautiful in that simplicity. The first part was purification, but not in the true sense…it would be a very dark purification. Leon, the fire elemental would purge Tristan of not only the darkness blackening his magic but take that blackness into himself.

After all with all the sin, all the careful _deliberate_ ways Tristan had blackened his very soul…all that darkness could not simply disappear into the ether. No, a normal purification ritual would not be enough to strip Tristan's soul of that darkness which was vital for this ritual to work. So a sacrifice was required to give itself up willingly, a sacrifice that would take all that into itself and in exchange Tristan would be purged of darkness for a time. A life for a life if you will.

That the sacrifice would be a fire elemental was so much better as it gave Tristan an affinity to the fire creature, the phoenix, that would be the second unwilling sacrifice. Leon stepped into the runic circle; one hand clapping onto Tristan's clasped hands and the other resting lovingly on Tristan's frozen forehead. Instruments appeared into the hands of the collected people and Voldemort almost vibrated in anticipation. There were only four in the room now without instrument in hand, Voldemort, Leon, Madeline and the broken form of Dumbledore. Tristan's frozen form didn't count of course as he was entirely unawares of his surroundings.

The storm outside pattered rain on the windows, the slow mournful sound of a piano began the song of the first part of the ritual and Voldemort marveled that the rain only added to the sound. A drum pounded like a heartbeat, adding tempo, giving rise to the desperate anticipation as Leon drew a deep breath to begin the song that would transfer Tristan's taint unto him. The pounding beat of other instruments joined in as Leon's soft voice began to ring out. It seemed to Voldemort Leon had no eyes but for Tristan…singing to him…for _him. _

**I, I came here by day,****  
****but I left here in darkness****  
****and found you, found you on the way.**

For Leon he was singing with his very heart. He remembered the day he came to Noctiluca, how frightened he had been that he would fail, how warm the sun had been for him at first. It had seemed as if he had lived at first in the warm day light of innocence and when his prince came into his world he had left the warmth for darkness. Leon had known even then, that if he wanted to be by his prince's side he would have to find him inside that darkness. **Now, it is silver and silent.****  
****It is silver and cold.****  
****You in somber resplendence,****  
****I hold...**

The frozen form of his prince was cold, cast in what appeared to be black marble his prince was frozen on the very edge of death. Leon's heart twisted in pain at that thought not because his lord wasn't ready for death. On the contrary, all the inner Dark Angels knew their lord longed for death viewing it as one would sleep after a very long tiring day. No, Leon's pain came from both that he was taking death away from his lord and that he knew his prince wouldn't want it. But, Leon, like the rest of them here today, was selfish. He could not face the pain of his lord's absence from his life. **Your sins into me,****  
****oh, my beautiful one.****  
****Your sins into me.**

Slowly the black from the casing around Tristan's forehead seeped into Leon's fingertips turning the tanned flesh of his skin into a sick diseased black. Leon sang through the pain imagining Tristan's voice as he sang, the sweet tones of Tristan's phantom voice rang through him. **  
**

**As a rapturous voice escapes****  
****I will tremble a prayer****  
****and I'll beg for forgiveness.**

Leon watched his hands slowly turn into withered black husks and hoped his sacrifice would be enough to earn his prince's forgiveness for playing part in the ritual to resurrect him.

**Your sins into me,****  
****Your sins into me****  
****oh, my beautiful one.**

The black slowly crept up his arms, the black casing slowly turned white in spots as the taint was transferred to Leon. The skin of his arms and hands was black withered and shriveled horribly. The pain was unimaginable…but his voice remained steady as he sang to take in the darkness from Tristan's heart and soul. **Light, like the flutter of wings,****  
****feel your hollow voice rushing****  
****into me as you're longing to sing.****  
****So I, I will paint you in silver.****  
****I will wrap you in cold.****  
****I will lift up your voice as I sink.**

Voldemort watched with curious eyes as the taint spread across Leon's chest, the clothes the boy wore shriveled and fell off like ash where the taint touched. Still the boy's voice was steady, though he must be unimaginable pain as all the goodness that was within him was sucked out of him replaced by the taint from Tristan. Voldemort set his eyes hungrily on the solidified magic Tristan was encased in…it was turning white in spots…gray in others as the darkness drained away from him into Leon. **Your sins into me,****  
****oh, my beautiful one, now****  
****Your sins into me.****  
****As a rapturous voice escapes****  
****I will tremble a prayer****  
****and I'll beg for forgiveness.****  
****Your sins into me,****  
****Your sins into me**

It took everything Leon had not to let his voice waver for even a moment…otherwise this pain would be for nothing. Musical casting was a fragile but powerful thing…delicate in that if he missed even one note the whole thing would fall apart. Powerful in that this song…this spell…was doing what it had been designed to. Had this been done through any other way…it would not be as thorough as this was now. **Cold in life's throes.****  
****I'll fall asleep for you.****  
****Cold in life's throes.****  
****I only ask you turn away.****  
****Cold in life's throes.****  
****I'll fall asleep for you.****  
****Cold in life's throes****  
****I only ask you turn****  
****as you seep into me,****  
****oh, my beautiful one, now...**

Leon was glad he couldn't see him now, the darkness had spread making his body twisted withered and shriveled black. The taint had spread all the way down to his legs now, his clothes had fallen off him crumbling into dust as the darkness touched them. The only parts untouched now were his neck, head, and his legs below his knees. The pain had numbed into a sharp cold feeling, as if death was embracing him, Leon knew he looked odd fresh bits attached to the withered remains of what looked like a burnt skeleton. **Your sins into me,****  
****oh, my beautiful one.****  
****Your sins into me.****  
****As a rapturous voice escapes****  
****I will tremble a prayer****  
****and I'll beg for forgiveness.****  
****Your sins into me,****  
****Your sins into me**

All that remained was his head and neck now. Leon's withered body was black, scabbed, and shriveled…it reminded Leon of what a dementor's body must look like without the cloak. All twisted and torn…engulfed in black…his skin was black as pitch and was so hard to look at. So Leon looked at the frozen beauty that was Tristan, the magic casing was almost entirely white now…only the barest stretches of gray remained. Soon Tristan would be ready for the second part. **Your sins into me,****  
****oh, my beautiful one, now****  
****Your sins into me.****  
****As a rapturous voice escapes****  
****I will tremble a prayer****  
****and I'll beg for forgiveness.****  
****Your sins into me,****  
****Your sins into...****  
****Your sins into me****  
****Oh my beautiful one!**

Voldemort watched as the last of the healthy looking skin disappeared from around Leon's mouth…amazing he still lived. Leon laid a crumpled heap beside the raise dais that held Tristan's frozen body that was now a beautiful shining white. Voldemort looked at the remains of what once had been a strong beautiful Leon…he looked like a withered burnt corpse. Leon's form was twisted withered and shriveled black, his hair was an inky black that fell lankily to cover his face as he gasped painful breaths from the ground.

Voldemort watched in fascination as the excess darkness seeped out from under Leon's body, watched him groan in tired pain as the dark blackness twisted up forming a mockery of wings that attached to his back like leeches. Impossibly there was still more blackness that hissed up from the ground like steam engulfing Leon's nude form in sticky mist as it formed a shroud of sorts. Voldemort watched as Leon heaved himself up with sheer force of will and dragged himself out of the runic circle.

This first part was the most fascinating, in draining Tristan's taint and giving all the goodness Leon had in turn to fill the void…Leon had _**voluntarily**_ turned himself into something Voldemort thought resembled a dementor. Leon was now an entirely new creature, made from a sacrifice and now his very existence was tied to Tristan for all of eternity. Leon was now an immortal being cursed to forever absorb the taint that would undoubtedly creep into Tristan's soul. Leon would for the rest of eternity bare the weight of Tristan's darkness and sin as if it were his own.

Leon dragged himself to the wall and slumped against it. Leon's eyes, Voldemort noticed, were now black pits with no other features just a disturbing solid black. However, Leon's gaze was locked on the frozen form of his Master, and Voldemort almost laughed at the irony. The thing one does for love…there were no barriers one would not breach…no line one would not cross…no pain one would not endure for the love one felt for another. In this Voldemort couldn't help but admire about Tristan…he inspired the greatest love in people without ever realizing it. Voldemort was sure that Leon had welcomed himself in this cursed existence for he truly loved his Master. Fool.

Madeline looked torn, like she wanted to comfort the boy but she could not move from her place without ruining his sacrifice. No one spoke; a word not sung now could ruin everything and so Madeline turned her eyes from Leon's ruined form. She eyed the Phoenix who, even now, struggled to escape the bindings of the Vixi. Tink was half dead herself but did not budge from her assigned duty…she would die before the allowing the phoenix to escape.

The collective people drew a breath and slowly the second part of the ritual began. Madeline's voice was haunting as she warmed up crying ohhh, ohhhhhh, ohhhhh, as the hardest part began. The willing sacrifice of the pure creature the phoenix. The power required to strip such a creature of its power was immense and directing it into a new vessel…almost impossible. Almost.

The sound of all those instruments playing together, a full orchestra along with the clashing harsh beat of the more contemporary instruments came together to make a chilling awe inspiring sound. Madeline stood staring at Tristan on the raised dais as she played her cello and sang. Voldemort smirked as he watched the magic unfold before him.

**You'll burn this time****  
****Seeing the violence****  
****It's feeding my mind****  
****No one is saving you****  
****How can you find****  
****A heaven in this hell?**

Madeline stared at the bound form of the Phoenix as it very slowly caught fire and remembered the violence of Tristan's memories. There was no way such a boy could find peace even in death…she was doing this in the hope that given time her son would heal. The slow fire that was bit by bit consuming the phoenix was unnatural and deliberate. The flame itself was a bright white unlike the deep orange that usually came with a burning day absent. **Leave it behind****  
****Hearing your silence****  
****It screams our goodbye****  
****Cannot believe it's an eye for an eye****  
****Love is gone to waste**

This ritual…it was more than just a life for a life…because what they were doing had never been done. The Phoenix was entirely engulfed now, it was screaming silently as it thrashed as if to put the consuming flame out. It could not, and the flames burned brighter with every note played. Madeline watched it with a cold eye as its form broke apart in ash, whittling down to nothing but its chick form and soon even that began to break down. **Angels have faith****  
****I don't want to be a part of his sin****  
****I don't want to get lost in his world****  
****I'm not playing this game**

Dark Angels had faith in nothing but their prince, they needed him to live on and selfishly they were cursing him with something he had never desired so that Tristan could remain here, bound to life. Madeline cursed Voldemort inside her head for playing on her love for her boy to get her into this and watched as the glowing white flame that was the phoenix's power without form burned brightly. She watched the flame as it slowly ran up the dais and began to consume Tristan's form. Even though it hurt her to watch Tristan's body crumple into ash ever so slowly…Madeline forced herself to watch. **When the shadows remain in the light of day****  
****On the wings of darkness he'll retaliate****  
****He'll be falling from grace****  
****Till the end of all his days**

Madeline knew when this was all over, when Tristan came back into himself that he would not forgive them for this. Not ever. They were merging his soul with the power of the phoenix, in doing this they were cursing him with a life that would _**never end**_. Should Tristan's body ever die he would simply be reborn into a new one. An endless cycle tied to life like a phoenix never being allowed to forget who he is…a soul trapped to live forever. **From the ashes of hate****  
****It's a cruel demon's fate****  
****On the wings of darkness****  
****He's returned to stay****  
****There will be no escape****  
****Cause he's fallen far from grace**

Voldemort watched gleefully as the light in Albus' eye died with the death of his phoenix. The bird's power was slowly consuming the casing of magic around Tristan's body reveling his body underneath. The casing broke away feeding the fire to new heights as Tristen's clothes turned to ash and his wounds burned shut. Voldemort was grateful that Tristan was unconscious even freed from the casing as a single sound out of place now would ruin everything. **What have you done?****  
****Is this what you wanted?****  
****What have you become?****  
****His soul's not forsaken****  
****You're walking alone****  
****From heaven into hell****  
****Now that you know****  
****Your way in this madness****  
****Your powers are gone****  
****Your chains have been broken****  
****You've suffered so long****  
****You will never change.**

Madeline forced herself to watch as the perfect form of her son finally revealed from its casing of solidified magic began to burn. It was horrible to watch his flesh as it darkened and crinkled black under the flame. The smell was like nothing she had ever smelled before…the curling smoke disappeared as it curled up to the ceiling. They were ripping him from the heaven that was oblivion to the scorching hell of life…they were dragging him into the very pits of his own hell. **Angels have faith****  
****I don't want to be a part of his sin****  
****I don't want to get lost in his world****  
****I'm not playing this game**

She almost expected him to wake up to scream as he burned…scream and ruin the ritual that they were casting onto him. But Tristan never woke…he laid there as if he was already dead simply letting his body burn as if on a funeral pyre. It was too horrible for words. Madeline felt the tiny life within her move, her slightly swollen belly pressed against the back of her cello reminding her that the sacrifices were not done. That this was not done, that Tristan was not gone yet even as his body burned without a whisper from him. **When the shadows remain in the light of day****  
****On the wings of darkness****  
****He'll retaliate****  
****He'll be falling from grace****  
****Till the end of all his days**

When Voldemort had come to her to tell her how he would give Tristan life once more she had been torn. She loved Tristan as she would a son but the final sacrifice of the ritual had almost seemed too cruel. They had to wait almost a year to perform it, the preparations alone had taken months and the final sacrifice had to be readied. **From the ashes of hate****  
****It's a cruel demon's fate****  
****On the wings of darkness****  
****He's returned to stay****  
****There will be no escape****  
****Cause he's fallen far from grace**

Tristan's body was almost gone now, it was horrible, and all that remained now was a blackened skeleton that glowed the deepest green as Tristan's soul merged with the power of the Phoenix. Madeline studiously ignored the frantic movement inside of her womb…it was as if it knew what was coming. **Angels have faith****  
****I don't want to be a part of his sin****  
****I don't want to get lost in his world****  
****I'm not playing this game**

The final sacrifice was the life of the unborn child within her body…willingly given by the one that housed it. A deep price to ask of any mother. Her first child of her blood to be given as a sacrifice to resurrect the child she had _chosen_. The baby had to be far enough along that it had its own fragile new soul already…that it was almost ready to live. It would never see the light of life, it would never breath that first breath or feel the air on its face. **When the shadows remain in the light of day****  
****On the wings of darkness****  
****He'll retaliate****  
****He'll be falling from grace****  
****Till the end of all his days**

Severus had to be restrained and bound at her home. He had objected to sacrificing their child to give life to one who did not want it…his opinion…not hers. Madeline knew it was cruel, for even now she felt the stirrings of love for this unborn child within her…but Tristan needed her. They would have other children. Tristan's body was gone now; all that remained was swirling green ash that was aflame in white of the phoenix's power. All that remained of Tristan was his soul, bound with his memories along with his magic, alight with the merging of the Phoenix power it was almost done. **From the ashes of hate****  
****It's a cruel demon's fate****  
****On the wings of darkness****  
****He's returned to stay****  
****There will be no escape****  
****Cause he's fallen far from grace**

Madeline listen the instruments as they echoed in the hall as she watched the ash swirl around her glowing green with white flame that licked her skin with heat. The magic didn't need her voice to direct it anymore, it knew what to do as the instruments rang out and Madeline braced herself for pain. She opened her mouth, the ash slammed into the opening with force and she screamed silently as the flame burned its way down her throat going through her body forcefully.

She tasted ash, her lungs burned for air as she screamed in pain as her stomach cramped up. Madeline felt her unborn child struggle feebly against the invading force. Its small flicker of magic made her stomach glow as it tried to fight for its life. It was of no use but the pain of sacrificing a life that _wanted to live_ tore at her heart.

Her unborn child fought longer than she had expected, the pain of it forcing Madeline to her knees as she held her middle as she coughed smoke. Her eyes streamed water as she felt it all, the soul of Tristan merging with the fragile little body using the death of the tiny unborn soul to finally fully merge Tristan's soul with the Phoenix's power. Her unborn child died and in that moment Tristan slipped into the empty shell of the unborn child's body and now the ritual was complete.

Madeline would be the first vessel of Tristan, the boy that had been Harry Potter lived no longer and now something else was now created. The pain gradually went away and Madeline rubbed her stomach in thought. The ritual gifted Tristan with the power of a Phoenix, he would never truly die only be reborn into another body. Unlike a phoenix though he would not be born from the ashes Tristan's soul would simply find another pregnant mother.

She was grateful that only this one child had to be sacrificed from now on Tristan would simply go into the unborn vessels that had yet to gain their own soul. Madeline wondered how it would work out for Tristan, he would remember everything from his previous lives, his magic was now bound to his soul and as such he would never truly reach a limit. Where for a normal person where their magic reached maturity and its limit on the body's seventeenth birthday it would not be the same for Tristan.

Sure it would stop growing every time his new body reached seventeen, but with every death came a new body that carried on his magic which would begin to grow again. Madeline shivered as stood on shaky feet; Voldemort was quick to come to her aid helping her stand. He placed a possessive hand on her swollen belly and Madeline forced herself to endure it. Madeline's eyes turned to Leon; he was bound to Tristan now because he would be constantly draining the taint from his soul.

Madeline had no doubt that Tristan _would_ taint his soul when he became aware again. However, since his powers were now eternally merged with the pure power of the phoenix which could handle no taint. So Leon would drain it as it came, forever taking in the taint as his own and he would live forever in that wretched state.

Not for the first time Madeline wondered if it was all worth it as she rubbed her belly were Tristan moved sluggishly inside her womb. She gently scooped up the Vixi Tink from the floor the poor thing had died keeping the phoenix bound for the ritual. Madeline would see that the sweet little thing got a funeral and a proper monument.

The Dark Angels all wanted to touch her belly reverently; they one by one rested their hands on her belly eager to feel their master move with his new life. Voldemort allowed them to do it but only for a few minutes before he warned them away from her. The real surprise was Leon who dragged himself in unsteady feet across the hall to fall at her feet to caress her belly. Madeline had to force herself to not flinch away from his withered black hands as he touched her.

Leon's face was sunken, robbed of its former beauty, drained of all color he was bathed in black, and felt of darkness. Being in his presence reminded her of being in close quarters with a dementor…it robbed you of all happy feeling and felt as if you would never see daylight or feel warmth again. She endured it because of his sacrifice though. Even Voldemort did not object to him running his skeletal hands over her belly for what seemed to be a very long time.

**~~~ Epilogue ~~~**

"**I sung of Chaos and Eternal Night,****  
****Taught by the heav'nly Muse to venture down****  
****The dark descent, and up to reascend..."**

Vicky hated going with Alpha on his Visits to the Dark Lord, especially when she was pregnant which was often her only comfort was that Peggy and Sarah were coming with them. It was a strange world they lived in now, like some horrible nightmare that never ended and she would never wake from. It seemed like it had been only yesterday that she had watched the world crumble all around her…heard her husband screaming as he died.

Could it really have been only six years ago? It seemed like just yesterday she had woken in an empty field with the others of her 'kind' to a world so unreal it was unbelievable. At least it had been at first. All those things she had dreamed of as a girl, unicorns, werewolves, vampires, and _**magic**_ all real along with so _much more_. She almost cried now thinking about how naïve she had been, how she had blushed excitedly as she read novels about rakish vampires/werewolves ravaging a wanton woman.

It wasn't anything like her stories…it was so much more horrible. Alpha…he had picked her, Peggy and Sarah from that field that day. Vicky wasn't even sure what his real name was as he never allowed the three of them to know it. He was simply Alpha, a werewolf that had chosen the three of them to be brood mares to him. Slaves to his will and desire.

He had a wife, that was a horror unto herself, she was a werewolf too and loved lording over the three of them as Domina. Vicky remembered how horrified she had been that first time Alpha had taken pleasures from her body. How she had fought, the pain that had brought her, and how long it had taken her to learn to _never fight back_. There was no escape from this life now…she had tried and failed enough to know this.

The hardest part had been when he had taken Sarah in front of them. Vicky and Peggy had been roughly the same age but Sarah…Sarah had been ten. Both of them had tried to stop Alpha from turning his attentions to Sarah but they hadn't been able to. Sarah was sixteen now, heavy with her first pup and terrified of giving birth. Vicky couldn't blame her because even though magic made birthing easier there was still a lot of pain…though recovery only took a day as opposed to the six weeks of before.

Vicky held Peggy's hand tightly with her left hand and Sarah's with her right. They were all three in various stages of pregnancy and following behind Alpha and Domina a respectable distance. It had taken Vicky a long time to piece together a shaky picture of how her world had come to an end. Even now she wasn't too sure on the facts since speaking to anyone who wasn't a 'muggle' was tantamount to suicide.

What she did know was that the Dark Lord had something to do with it, that the bands that marked the muggles would never fade or ever be broken. Vicky thought longingly of her other children she had left at 'home' five of them were werewolves but Lucy her youngest had been born with the bands. Vicky remembered how horrified she had been to realize the curse of slavery would bind all of her 'muggle' children. Luckily Lucy was too young to be given to anyone but Vicky dreaded the day when she was handed off.

There was also the unnamed horror of Alpha, Vicky had seen the way he had eyed Lucy…sometimes Vicky didn't know what to fear more. The day Lucy was given to someone else…or the day Alpha decided _not_ to give her away taking her himself. Her thoughts snapped back into focus as she caught an eye full of the Dark Lord on his throne. He was handsome in a devastating way, just like Alpha, but Vicky had learned not to be fooled by a beautiful face.

She kept her eyes on the ground looking at the Dark Lord from only the very corner of her eye. She wasn't listening to whatever Alpha was telling him since it would probably not make much sense to her anyway. It was because Vicky couldn't really _look_ at the Dark Lord that it took so long for her to notice him. The small boy was sitting on the Dark Lord's lap. He was breathtakingly beautiful, all big green eyes and pale skin with flowing black locks that looked like ink.

Vicky hated to see such an innocent looking child on the lap of such a terrible man. However, she knew better than to try to help the poor boy…because she couldn't even help herself. The baby within her squirmed uncomfortably as the air turned cold around her. Vicky paled as she saw the creature just behind the Dark Lord's throne cloaked in a black shroud a mockery of wings hanging limply from its back. It was the Darkness, the creature that the Dark Lord gave the traitors to. The creature fed off of the joy and goodness inside a soul. Being given to the Darkness was a fate worse than death.

Tristan beckoned Leon to his side, Alucard remained in the shadows awaiting his will and Voldemort was a steady strength beneath underneath him. Leon looked better than he had when he had first been turned into the creature he had become. His black body had filled out from the shriveled husk it had been before. Now he looked a bit more like himself from before the transformation only he was bathed in black. It had been interesting finding out that Leon could feed on the joy and goodness of souls giving him health.

For everyone else when Leon drew near it felt horrible and cold. For Harry it only brought warmth and happiness as Leon took away all the pain with his darkness. Leon's black hand slipped over Tristan's tiny one engulfing it. Tristan had been so angry when he first woken up in this new life…but slowly he had let all that go. Stripped of all that darkness made it hard to stay angry…oh Tristan still felt a deep hate but it was without the blinding anger.

Tristan accepted that he could not change this fate, he was curse to rule in hell…but a part of him had always known heaven would never welcome him. He would rule in hell forever and never would he _serve_ in heaven. Tristan sighed and turned his eyes to Voldemort. Voldemort was the remains of his heart and he was all that mattered anymore. They were tied together for all of eternity…there could not be one without the other. Tristan began to sing a song he was fiddling with his body was still too young to cast musically but that didn't stop him from singing.

**You can't quit until you try****  
****You can't live until you die****  
****You can't learn to tell the truth****  
****Until you learn to lie****You can't breathe until you choke****  
****You gotta laugh when you're the joke****  
****There's nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive****Just open your eyes****  
****Just open your eyes****  
****And see that life is beautiful.**

Vicky paled, her stomach dropped out of her feet, she remembered that voice…though it was younger and more childish than before. She would never forget that voice until she died, the voice that had sang away everything she had ever known or loved. The small boy in the Dark Lord's lap had seemed so innocent…so pure…but he like everything else in this life was a lie. Magic was strange and twisted, never had Vicky known how horribly true the saying 'never judge a book by its cover' until she had known of Magic. Here was this beautiful innocent looking angel of a boy, singing with a voice so sweet it almost hurt to listen to, but _**he**_ was the one that had reshaped the world.

Tristan sat humming as he thought of more lyrics to his songs while composing the accompanying instruments in his head. It had been a surprise to everyone that some of the other powers besides eternal life had carried on from the Phoenix powers. The power of his singing voice was only one of many changes. Still Tristan wondered what this life would bring him now that it would never end…only time would tell and he had all of it.

**A.N.: Its been a wild ride! Can't believe its done! Read & Review! Keep an eye out for the sequel! Let me know what you think of my first completed work! AHHH XD I can't believe its finished! T.T Sorta happy sorta sad hope you loved it! Please Review and let me know if you loved this almost as much as I loved writing it! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! **

**I usually don't do this because I think authors who post things that aren't chapters are a little annoying because you get all excited for nothing. However, a few reviewers have expressed their want to know when I post the sequel to this via a notice on this story. So here it is! I have finished the first chapter of the sequel, Jaded Eyes of a Haunted Soul, and will be posting it shortly. Due to the length of the chapters I don't expect that I'll be updating as quickly as you or I would like to but hopefully you'll be patient with me! Thanks for reading and reviewing this story. You guys have been an inspiration. **

**Wicked. **


End file.
